A Blooming Hunter
by HUNGRYBURGER25
Summary: The new year in Beacon had just started when a new student arrives a few days late. What happens when he's introduced as the fifth honorary member of Team RWBY? And what sort of person is this swordsman anyway? ((Hope somebody enjoys this, and please leave reviews to help me out!))
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, here we go. Hopefully this thing will be good. I really just want to get this character out on screen. And before anyone reads everything I post, understand I'm essentially oblivious to a lot of ships. If this story goes against your ship, I'm sorry! Hopefully, everyone has something to enjoy out of this.**

 **I guess this'll start up a few days after Initiation, when the teams were formed. If anyone has suggestions for the story, or even one-shot chapters I can toss in between, I'll listen. I'd prefer it if only constructive criticism came to the reviews, but it's a free Internet, so say what you want to.**

Chapter 1

 **In the Emerald Forest…**

The forest was completely still, nothing but a gentle breeze carrying a few leaves along its shoulders as it waltzed along the dirt path winding through the thick trees. An Ursa Minor, large and fierce, breaks through the woods, and howls into the air. It sniffs the air, looking around for its prey. The beast growls, pawing the earth with its great, black appendages for some hint as to where its meal went. It looks up, and sees its quarry; a slab of meat hanging from a rope above its head. The Ursa reared back, and jumped upwards in an attempt to claw the meal down.

It never reached its meal.

A blur of black and dark purple slammed into the gut of the monster, an immaculate blade running it through as the blur passed by. The beast released a howl of pain, the din breaking through the woods and causing birds to flee. The Ursa tried to get up, but it was met by a bullet through its eye, then a swift beheading. The swordsman stood upright, placing his weapon on his back. He stands with the deadly poise of a wolf, the unwavering expertise of an expert hunter.

 _These things are too easy to kill…_

The swordsman, standing very tall, looked around for anything else which could threaten him. His eyes, a dark purple seeming to be a window into the night sky, scanned as he felt his weapon magnetize to the back of his armor suit. The weapon, a single edged blade which he and his father combined with a lever-action rifle, gleaned the light of the setting sun onto the ground. The barrel is aligned with the back of the blade, and though he could fold it into only a rifle, or even compacted into a smaller box, he came to prefer having it on his back in full form, unless the weather was disagreeable. The blade itself is a pure steel, with a purple handle, small black highlights around the handle and the sights of the rifle. On the handle, there is a lever action and trigger for the rifle parts. He walked past the dead Ursa, picking up a large rucksack and hoisting it onto his back. Something metal connected with his armor, and he raised a hand to his chest, feeling the metal against his gloved hand. He briefly looking down at his hand, the dark purple armor plates covering his hand reflecting a bit of the setting sun to his eye.

The armor, a dark purple with a black cloth-like material underneath, was built for training and to better fit his fighting style. The armor, made especially for him by his mother, weighs more than six times he does, and can be increased in weight whenever he needs to, as long as he has Dust. The hard as steel plates were arranged for maximum mobility, but also to ensure every muscle was being worked at all times to hold it up. He's seen the armor survive everything, and he places his faith in it, just as he has faith in his blade. He looks out through the trees, seeing the end to his long journey.

 _Only a few more hours of travel, and I'll be there._

His destination, Beacon Academy, loomed in the distance. The great tower beckoned him to start walking again, keeping a constant stride but staying wary. He ran a hand through his hair, perfectly black but a complete mess, moving the stray hair out of his face. His face was set in an expression of cold determination, his eyes set forward. He stood tall, a few inches taller than most men of Vale. The breeze graced his face, gently pushing against his body and face as he walked. He felt the shifting of the silver chain around his neck, and it reminded him of its presence. The swordsman then moved his hand to the pendant on his neck, looking at his name reflecting back at him;

'Roy.'

He smiled softly, feeling the warmth of a good memory. In a moment, he heard the snarling of beasts nearby. Drawing his sword, he looked quickly from side to side for the enemy. Roy bent his knees, waiting for whatever was in waiting for him to attack. They quickly revealed themselves, a group of three Beowolves leaped from the growth and quickly surrounded him. He pulled up his weapon, bring up a defensive stance towards the Beowolf in front of him. The edge facing upwards and the point towards the enemy, he watched carefully. In his peripheral vision, he observed the other two. The beasts circled him, growling fiercely at their prey. Roy waited, standing perfectly still. The air was tense, as neither side advanced towards each other.

Then the first of the beasts dashed for him, a claw raised for the attack.

Roy turned, instantly removing the creature's limb. The second Beowolf to move, now behind him, advanced quickly. However, the swordsman was already moving, flipping backwards and over the beast. He slashed downwards as it came to a halt, cutting it clean in half vertically. His luck had run out, however, as the third moved too quickly for him to counter. It slashed him across his chest, creating three massive gashes across his armor. The armor held, though it showed the damage clearly, deep black and purple lines drawn across it. He fell backwards, but rolled and stood up in the defensive stance. His revenge was swift, the beast's head falling down with a quick strike.

He regarded his armor, surprised it even showed any signs of damage. He scowled, knowing that this armor wouldn't last much longer if he couldn't repair it with some Dust. Much like any wound, the armor can be healed, sewn and held together with the energy of Dust and his own Aura.

 _When was the last time I'd repaired you..?_

Recalling the last reparations he had made were more than a week prior, he growled at himself. On top of that, he had been fighting constantly all week, with multiple run-ins similar to this. He recalled the last few times the armor had taken hits, but shook off his growing frustration. He ran back and grabbed his rucksack, now jogging to make up for lost time. He needed to move faster, if he was going to make it by nightfall.

 _I need to move quickly, these Grimm must make up for their weakness with their numbers._

Roy kept running, the leaves crunching under his feet as he quickened his pace. His eyes scanned constantly for more threats, but luckily nothing else came for him. His mind went to the acceptance letter, stowed carefully in the outermost pocket in his rucksack. The swordsman had received it earlier in the year, having passed all the entry exams sent for him to do at a local combat school. The swordsman recalled that he had to sneak from his home to hopefully follow this letter. He recalled that his father would have absolutely scorned him for even trying to leave. This memory brought a scowl to Roy's face, but he tossed it aside for the time being. The path ahead narrowed, darkening under the canopy as a clearing came into view. From the clearing, he could see the tower even more clearly. Ahead of the clearing was a straight, beaten path towards the massive Academy.

 _Just a little further, and I'm finally there._

He went to charge up his Aura, and prepare his Semblance. He had only recently discovered how to use his Aura to a greater extent, during a battle with a great scorpion known as a Death Stalker. He was able to stop a fatal attack, and wield his Semblance. He was aware of how one's Semblance worked, that they were unique to the individual and worked in a variety of ways. His parents showed him how their own worked, but never put any emphasis into teaching him. They wanted him to be great without relying on his Aura, or his Semblance. However, his mother had taught him how to heal himself with his Aura. Roy learned the ability he wielded was that he could, at this point, increase his running speed greatly, or even launch himself great distances with the extreme velocity. It was fairly useful, allowing him to catch prey off guard with confounding speed.

He concentrated, a dark purple energy building around him. He was about to take off when another Grimm, a mighty Ursa Major, clawed its way into the clearing with him. The much larger beast roared with monstrous power. Roy turned, immediately drawing his weapon while dropping his rucksack to his side. His energy faded as well, the dark purple surrounding him crawling back under his armor. He stood at the ready, watching it as it barreled towards him. He flipped his hands, the swords flipping and changing into a lever action rifle. He crouches, steadying his aim as the sights line up over the great bear's eye. He fires, just barely missing the vital structure. Pulling the lever, he loads the next shot. He fires again, getting a shot to penetrate the Ursa's monstrous teeth. He reloads once again, but the monster gets to him as he fires the third shot into its chest. It slashes across his chest, knocking him clear off his feet.

The purple-clad swordsman landed roughly on his back, the wind being knocked out of him as he slammed into the dirt. He put a hand to his chest, seeing blood on his hand as he brought it back up. He growled, standing up with his weapon hanging loosely from his hand as the Ursa sizes up its meal. His face changes to that of anger, flipping the rifle back into a katana. Roy felt his Aura flare as his anger rose under the chest-piece of his armor. The purple-clad swordsman leaped into the air, coming straight down at the Ursa.

"I'll kill you for that!"

He slashed, cutting through the Ursa's massive paw before it could swing at him. He leapt into another slash, passing through the beast and then again and again, until he had diced the beast into pieces where it stood. He released a deep breath, the pain finally coming into his perception. He doubled over, blood dripping through his armor. His chest burning from the immense pain blurring his senses, he throws the sword onto the magnetic hold on his back. He staggered over to his belongings, which laid next to the heap of dead Ursa, now beginning to smell of gore. He slings his bag over his shoulder, strapping it down tightly.

"One last shot…" The great tower taunted him as he glared upwards, his body slowly giving into the pain in his chest. With a last thought, he estimated his chances, and started preparing his Semblance again. The energy built up around him as he took a low stance, preparing to run for his life. He waited, his body's Aura building up until he felt the maximum limit be reached. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes had changed color as his Aura charged, now an emerald green. Jumping forward, he then started sprinting at an extreme speed. The leaves around him started blasting upwards as he dashed through the woods, the path blurring around him.

He took deep breaths, his senses on overdrive in the attempts to keep himself moving in one direction. The intense speed had confounded his own perception when he first discovered it, and now, Roy wished he had practiced the technique more than he had. He could tell he was losing energy at an extremely fast rate, pushing his body like this. Luckily, he was closing the distance towards the campus quickly. He spotted a girl in his line of direct sight, standing nearby what must've been the dormitory. Roy then came to a realization, as his energy waned and his eyes returned to dark purple.

 _How do I stop?_

His eyes widened as his feet started to slowly lose their ability to keep up with his speed. Roy tried desperately to move his feet faster, but it was becoming an uphill battle very quickly as he now was bounding in order to keep up with his now confounding velocity towards the Academy. Now faced with the impending need to stop, he tried to dig his heels into the ground in order to bring himself to a stop quickly. However, his sudden increase of drag caused his body to launch upwards at an angle head over heels. Roy watched as he flew right past the girl he spotted. Their eyes met for an instant before he zoomed past, dark purple eyes meeting a slightly brighter purple pair of eyes. Roy flew past, slamming on his back into a nearby wall before falling onto his head. His vision blurred, as he felt his consciousness slip and he fell into darkness…

 **Meanwhile…**

Yang Xiao Long had come outside to give her sister Ruby time to talk to their other teammates, Blake and Weiss. While she personally was happy to stay and talk, she needed some time to herself. She smiled, resting a hand on her hip. Her back skirt fluttered in the gentle breeze, the warm summer air caressing her hair. It wasn't often that she took time for herself, but she certainly enjoyed it. She let out a content sigh, cut short when she heard a constant, quickly growing noise of feet crunching against leaves. She gasped when a dark purple blur zoomed past her sight, flying straight past her and into the wall beside her. Her eyes had met the gaze of another in the instant, but she was surprised by the speeding mass. She jumped backwards, her bracelets transforming into her weapon, the Ember Celica.

She lowered her guard slightly, however, when she looked closer and found that the now crumpled heap of armor was a person, and he wasn't moving. Her weapons shifted back into bracelets as she ran over to check him. He had a sizable mark on his forehead, and as she lifted him up, she saw the large gashes across the young man's chest. Her eyes widened at the sight, as a small amount of blood seeped through the cracks in the purple armor plates, and onto the black cloth underneath it. The armor was clearly of a custom make, made of something she'd never seen before and of a different style.

"Ooh, boy, we need to get you help. C'mon!" She hoists him onto her shoulder, lifting him up slowly. She was surprised; he was much heavier than she had anticipated. "Wow, you're a heavy guy, huh?" Yang then took a closer look at her unconscious luggage, the stranger now hanging from her shoulder.

 _He's not too bad looking…_

The armored fellow had an impressive face, handsome despite his somber resting face. His face was covered in a thin line of stubble, a thin cover over a young face. His features were thin and pointed, chiseled with a sort of stoic ruggedness. He had a split eyebrow, the left one being cut by something in the past and leaving a scar which cut the end into two distinct points. Yang admired him as she jogged, turning her head back forward as she scanned for any teacher for help. Then, she saw Glynda Goodwitch, the tall woman walking quickly down the halls.

"Professor Goodwitch!"

She stopped, turning to Yang and immediately changing her expression to that of surprise. "Ms. Xiao Long! Who is this?" Yang came to a stop in front of her, releasing a large breath before replying.

"I don't know, but he just flew in out of nowhere! He definitely needs help, though." Glynda knelt down slightly, her eyes studying the armor and the teen's head. Noting he might have a concussion and his chest wounds were serious, she stood up and waved Yang to follow her.

"Come quickly, we must get him medical attention." They moved quickly through the halls towards the infirmary, as the stranger groaned from Yang's shoulder. She turned her gaze to her shoulder, as the armored stranger raised his head slightly.

"Where…did I make it to Beacon?"

"Yeah, lucky I was there to get you, huh?" Yang smiled, as the swordsman's eyes slowly opened. He looked around, a dazed look now coming across his face. He turned his head, looking over at his savior. She had a beautiful face, her own purple eyes matching his. The blonde hair fell perfectly behind her, falling straight around her face and down her back. He was taken aback, his already dazed mind now even more baffled. He studied her for a moment longer, before asking another question;

"Are you sure I didn't die?"

She chuckled, as they finally reached their destination. She laid him down onto a stretcher, surrounded by doctors now as his armor was attempted at for removal. "No, you're definitely still alive." The doctors gave signs that they couldn't get his armor off, and he released a sigh of impatience. He touched his knuckles to the insides of his arms, and the plates on his arms came loose. He let his arms fall limp, and the armor fell to the floor with a massive _thud_. He then pressed a button on the inside of his chest piece, and it started to click and move as it loosened around him. The doctors moved to pick up the arm pieces, but none of them could lift the gauntlets. Yang rolled her eyes, picking up the arm pieces with a grunt. "You don't play around with your armor." She whistled, looking over the armor with an appreciative eye.

Roy looked up at her, as she followed the stretcher going down the hallway. He let out a small laugh, looking at the gauntlets. "It's the best armor in Vale, maybe even in all of Remnant." Yang gave him a small smile, but he started to pass out again as the stretcher approached a vacant room for treatment. Her eyes changed to reflect the worry in her heart, as the doctors worked to get him undressed. She moved forward, setting down the gauntlets. She took his cuirass in her hands, pulling it upward and getting him out of it.

"Thank you, Ms. Xiao Long. We'll take it from here."

"Take care of him!" She ducked out of the room, coming out and coming face to face with Professor Goodwitch. "I hope he's okay." The Huntress nodded, looking into the room with a grim expression. The two stood together for a moment before Glynda broke the silence.

"Could you please head up to your dorm? I will call you when he's stable."

Yang looked at her with a distraught expression, but nodded pensively. She left, walking quickly down the hall as Glynda watched the doctors went to work intensively on the now unconscious swordsman. She could see the distinct gashes into his chest, surprisingly shallow in his flesh. She looked down for a moment, before turning around and walking quickly down the hall, heading now to see someone else about this newcomer…

 **In Headmaster Ozpin's office…**

"…but my real question is, why was he accepted?" Glynda stood opposite the middle-aged man sitting at his desk. Ozpin, the headmaster, pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose as he stood up. He met her gaze with the look of sage wisdom, as his eyebrows raised slightly.

"He was accepted because he passed every written test I sent him, and his mother had arranged to have his combat testing done when he arrived. She guaranteed he was more than capable a warrior."

Glynda stepped forward, her eyes narrowing slightly. She adjusted her own glasses, resting her hand on Ozpin's desk. "And what? We're just supposed to accept her word that he's skilled enough?" Ozpin shook his head, as he started to bring an image up on his scroll.

"No, she wanted him to be tested. It would seem she was adamant he had to pass whatever test we devised in order to be accepted." The professor sighed, but was surprised when she saw the image Ozpin was bringing up.

"She-"

"Yes, that's his mother. She was one of the most impressive Huntresses in Vale for a while, until she retired some years ago." Glynda was surprised, but now saw the resemblance the son held of his mother. She recalled his appearance, the same pitch black hair and pale skin as the woman on the screen. Ozpin leaned forward, a look of empathy on his face. "It was unfortunate news when we learned she had passed. But now is not the time to be dissecting his personal life." A light flashed on his scroll, and he looked down at the message. "It would seem he's stable, but sleeping. We will speak to him once he's awake, and then we will see about his combat tests."

 **Back in the infirmary…**

It was now well into the night, the moon's gentle light blanketing the campus in its pale shroud. Inside the infirmary room Roy laid in, the lights remained on as a nurse took his vitals. It seemed that he did not sustain any major head injury, and his chest wounds were healing at an accelerated rate because of his Aura. The nurse walked out of the room, but was stopped as two girls walked into the room. The first was Yang, with a look of relief upon seeing the young man in bed. The second, dressed in a black and red skirt with a red hood and cape, followed behind her. This girl stood shorter than Yang, and had short black hair with a red tint.

"He just fell asleep again, must be so tired from his trip here." The nurse stepped out, closing the door behind her. Yang crossed her arms, a small smile on her face. "What do you think, Ruby?" Ruby, however, wasn't paying much mind to the person in the bed, but rather to the metal box next to his armor pieces. She lifted it up, though it certainly weighed more than she anticipated.

"Is this his weapon? I wonder what it is…" Yang rolled her eyes, but didn't move to stop her little sister from at least looking.

Ruby looked over the intriguing object, until she found the release mechanism. She pressed it, and the weapon started to unfold into its sword form. This sudden movement scared her, and she started to fall backwards with the blade in her hands. She let out a yelp, falling over and towards Yang. Throwing the sword upward, it went upwards before being caught in midair.

The young man had woken up, catching the blade before it could fall.

 **Yeah, hopefully this will pick up steam as we get into the story. Anyways, hope somebody enjoys this first chapter. I'll have the next one up soon, and we'll see what happens. Put in reviews so I know what people want to see.**


	2. Chapter 2: Introductions

Chapter 2

 **15 minutes earlier…**

Roy had gotten out of intensive care, and was being moved by stretcher to another room. The wheels rolled gently under him, as a small group of medical staff surrounded him as they made their way towards one of the many vacant rooms. In order to move his belongings, they had to get the armor onto another, shorter cart which was being pushed along behind the stretcher. One of the nurses was making sure he was healing properly, as his Aura had already begun to aid in the healing process. As they entered the room, his eyes started to move as the stretcher began to come to a stop.

The doctors moved him gently onto the bed, sliding him under the covers. Roy opened his eyes, blinking a few times under the harsher lights above him. He released a quiet sigh, watching the doctors move his things next to his bed. He almost laughed when he saw them struggle to move his armor. When they finally did set it down on the ground, Roy saw his rucksack and sword were already in the room, now set next to the armor plates. He frowned at the sight of his cuirass, the damaged plates staring back at him, making him inwardly angry with himself.

His attention turns away from the armor as a pair of doctors start to examine him, checking over every piece of him. They make sure he doesn't have a concussion, how his wounds are healing. While one doctor pulls his eyelids to check his eyes, the other checks his legs. They had pulled away the black cloth beneath his armor, and the 'regular' clothes he wore under that, a purple V-neck short sleeved shirt and black cargo pants. His bandages are exchanged for new ones, while the small group of medical staff dissipates, leaving only one nurse.

His eyes focus on this nurse, who now realizes he's awake. She smiles down at him, brushing her hair to the side. "I didn't realize you were awake." He grunted, stretching his limbs outward. She gave a small 'Hm', resting the back of her hand on his head. He was warm to the touch, though she wagered that this wasn't a bad thing. He seemed perfectly healthy now, almost as if he just wanted nothing more than to get out of bed. The nurse walked over, pulling out her scroll and checking his Aura signature. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if that girl who brought you in-"She stopped as she looked back at him, smiling down at him. He was breathing lightly, having fallen asleep so quickly.

Roy, however, hadn't fallen asleep. He was waiting, wanting this nurse to leave so he could get out of bed and start repairing his armor. He knew that all of the medical staff would try to keep him in bed, make sure he was fully healed before he started moving. He heard the nurse step back, and begin to walk out. But she stopped, and Roy heard two more pairs of footsteps enter the room.

"He just fell asleep again, must be so tired from his trip here."

 _Oh, for Dust's sake…_

Roy internally rolled his eyes, he couldn't believe it. Why on Remnant would he have visitors? He decided that he would have to keep up his façade for just a while longer, so that he could get to work on his armor. His mind was rolling with what he'd need to repair his armor, mentally recounting what he had in his bag as well. His mental train came to a halt when he heard the voice of the visitor at his right;

"What do you think, Ruby?"

That was the girl who saved him! He heard the quiet steps of someone else approaching the side of his bed, unlike his savior's footfalls. The quiet _clicks_ of this one's heels were soft, almost timid as they approached the bedside. Roy heard the sound of metal being quietly lifted from the ground, and he came to the realization that his sword was being picked up.

"Is this his weapon? I wonder what it is…"Her voice was soft, melodious and curious. He chuckled to himself, actually a bit amused by her intrigue into his sword. This intrigue turned into alarm when he heard the sound of the release activating on his sword, metal sliding precariously around as the girl started fumbling with it.

His eyes opened instantly, seeing the sword being flung into the air as a shorter girl fell backwards into the arms of his own savior. Before the sword could drop any further, he immediately sat upright, snatching the blade from the air. He looked down at the girl who had held his sword, his eyes studying her. Her short black-red hair fell across her face, covering one eye from where he could see her. She looked rather innocent in her black and red corset and skirt, accented by the red cloak on her back. Silver eyes met the dark purple eyes of the swordsman, one of concern and the other in fear. The girl in red looked upwards with a slowly more fearful expression, which relaxed when Roy leaned back slightly, pulling the sword back to him.

"You need to be more careful."

The young girl below him let out a small 'Eep' when he snapped his arm, causing the sword to fold back into its box mode. He set the box next to his knee, as he was now in a kneeling position on both knees. He released a quiet breath, relieved as she was that nothing serious had happened. He looked up from the young girl, and now met the eyes of the young woman who had saved him. He refrained from smiling, but was internally grateful that he could meet her again. "It's good to see you again."

"I told you that you didn't die." She smiled to him, laughing as she lifted the girl in the black and red. He let himself smile at the remark, and he let his muscles relax. "I suppose I didn't. Good for me." She chuckled at his retort, walking around the bed and holding her hand out to him. "I'm Yang. Don't suppose you have a name?" Roy took Yang's hand, surprised by the amazing softness of her hand. "Roy. It's a pleasure."

At this moment, the younger girl coughed quietly, her hands in front of her. Yang rolled her eyes, and started pushing the other girl closer to the swordsman on the bed. "Ruby, come and say hi." Ruby shied away, obviously nervous at the prospect. Roy tried to appear less intimidating, leaning back a bit as to reduce his height. He tried to offer a smile, but the cloaked girl actually hid behind the sociable blonde. Roy thought for a moment, looking at his sword.

"Hey Ruby, do you want to look at my sword?" The girl actually perked up, as Roy hit the release, flipping the box into its blade mode. He held it carefully in front of her, and she cautiously took it.

"Don't fall over this time."

She laughed, a rather cute giggle at the prospect. "Ooh, you put a lot of work into this baby." She examined the weapon, looking over the rather complex weapon. Roy let his pride in the weapon show, crossing his arms as a smile grew on his face.

"Along with being a katana-style blade, it's also a lever-action marksman rifle." Ruby nodded, finding the trigger and lever action on the handle. "It's also a gun," Ruby breathed in awe. Roy then spotted the folded weapon on the girl's hip. He tilted his head slightly, curious now as to what she could possibly carry into battle. "And what do you carry?"

Ruby almost tossed Roy's blade back to him, eagerly pulling the folded weapon from her hip. His eyes widened as it began to fold out into a massive scythe, the large red-and-black tool of destruction now resting in the arms of its young wielder. Roy nodded, impressed by the intricate design and the sheer size of the weapon. "She's also a high impact sniper rifle. I call her Crescent Rose." The scythe-wielder put Crescent Rose away, while Roy flipped his sword into its own compact mode. Yang had leaned back against the wall, happily watching her sister interact with the swordsman.

"Uh, I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose. Yang's my sister." Roy looked between the two, a bit perplexed by the relations of the two girls. He decided it'd be a question for later, as he nodded to the younger sister. "Nice to meet you." The greetings were cut short, as two more people walked into the room. The first, recognized by Yang and Ruby as Glynda Goodwitch, walked directly in, only focused on the young man in the bed. The second was recognized by Roy, the middle-aged man with a cane walking slowly in after his companion.

"You're awake."

Ozpin smiled, nodding to the sisters as he now focused on the swordsman. Roy bowed his head, respecting the headmaster. "Headmaster. It's an honor to finally meet you in person." Roy's smile faded, his rugged face taking on a more business-like expression. Ozpin took a sip from his mug, setting it down on the table next to him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. This is Professor Glynda Goodwitch, the combat training instructor here at Beacon." Roy offered a hand, and Glynda shook it.

Ruby and Yang stood at the side of the room, not wanting to intrude on the affairs of Ozpin and this new student. However, this didn't stop both of them from formulating their own thoughts on the new arrival. Yang was certainly impressed by his looks, as the bandages held taut to his body left little to the imagination. Ruby was captivated by the weapon Roy had brought with him, aware that it takes a fair amount of intelligence to build a sword of its make. Both couldn't wait to return to their dorm, and tell their teammates about the new young man who would be attending Beacon.

Professor Goodwitch was currently going over the combat test which Roy would be put through. She held her scroll out in front of him, showing the basic plans. "…In short, we'll require you to fight in three sparring matches, and I will judge to see if you're ready for Beacon Academy's level of combat." Roy looked at the list of first-years who would be possible opponents for his 'entry exam'. He nodded gently, his face contorting to reflect his determination. He then swung his feet over the side of his bed, much to the surprise of both professors and the sisters.

"Wait! You…shouldn't…"Yang trailed off, realizing that he was perfectly capable of standing by himself. He looked at his hands, clenching them into fists and tensing his muscles before relaxing again. All of his company, save for Ozpin, watched him warily for signs of his injury. Roy looked down at his damaged cuirass, and bent down to pick it up. He hefted the heavy piece of combat engineering onto the bed, causing the metal supports to precariously creak and bend. He ran his hand across the three gashes which cut through his armor, a forlorn look on his face for only a few moments. He turned back around, opening his rucksack and pulling out a mixture of Dust which slid around in a jar.

"Dust?" Glynda looked at the jar with an inquisitive look, raising an eyebrow as Roy opened it.

"The armor was specially built for me, and it's attuned to my Aura. My mother built me this when I was young. Since then, I've used Dust and my Aura to adjust it to my body and augment it with my own workings. But…the greatest asset for this armor is that I can use a specific blend of Dust to repair her." Glynda, the resident Dust expert, watched with intrigue as Roy prepared the repairs.

Ozpin, too, watched with curiosity. He had heard of Roy's mother, how she came from a particular family of weapon craftsmen and women who worked Dust into their armor and weapons. _I wonder just how much Viola showed him…_ The wise headmaster stepped to one side, studying his work.

"You see, the armor is sort of like our skin. It knows what to form, how to reform back into its original form. Just stronger than the last time it was wounded." Roy had trailed off, mesmerized by the work he committed to. He spread the Dust across the damaged surface, the violet armor reacting gently to the material now gently placed on it. He then placed his hand on the middle, and he closed his eyes in concentration. His Aura now glowed on his hand, a glow of purple light now emanating and reflecting off of everyone's faces. The armor began to grow, the Dust forming into metal and welding itself to the chest-piece. The new metal weaved and morphed, coming together into the individual pieces and the main chest plate under his palm.

The armor came to a stop, as the metal had come back together and leaving no trace of the large gashes that were on the armor in the first place. Roy opened his eyes, looking down at the newly mended cuirass. The swordsman ran his hands tenderly along its surface, a relieved expression now on his face. Glynda was astonished by this feat, having just watched Dust turn to metal. Ozpin was fascinated as well, at the stunning mastery Roy had just displayed. The young man then reached into his rucksack, returning the jar back to its place and pulling out a new set of the black under-cloth he was wearing under his armor earlier.

"So, when can I get my tests done?"

"Aren't you at all tired?" Glynda inquired sternly. Roy nodded, but his eyes reflected the eager energy now building up in his body. He stopped though, taking a moment to think. "Well, that did drain my Aura considerably…" Roy held his chin between his thumb and index finger, estimating his own body's energy. Glynda took a step forward, as she looked over her scroll.

"Besides that, my combat training class with the first-years isn't until tomorrow morning." Roy released an exasperated sigh, impatience running with his breath. He tapped his foot a few times, thinking intensely. Glynda adjusted her glasses, and looked over to Yang.

"Ms. Xiao Long, how about you and Ms. Rose come for him in the morning? I'm certain he'll need help finding the dining hall."

Yang nodded, and nudged Ruby, who was almost falling asleep. "C'mon sis, let's get going." She dragged Ruby by her hood, the drowsy girl simply dragging behind the older sister out the door. Glynda made for the door, looking to Ozpin as if waiting for him.

"I'll be right out, Glynda." The professor nodded, and looked between the two before exiting the room. The door shut behind her, and Roy sat down cross-legged on his bed as the headmaster pulled his cane in front of him.

"I know it's none of my business. But there is something missing from your personal records."

Roy raised an eyebrow, watching the aged man move data around on his scroll. "You see…we have no records of your father. I wanted to ask you personally for his identity." The younger man's expression darkened, but Ozpin could see that he wasn't angered by the question.

"Headmaster, are you familiar with Atlesian geography?"

Ozpin was confused by this question, but relented to answer. "Yes, I am aware of the various landmarks."

"Do you know of the Wolf's Territory?"

Ozpin visibly paled, hoping that this answer wasn't what he was expecting. He adjusted himself, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He cleared his throat, and looked at the swordsman warily. "Yes. It's off-limits to the Atlesian army because of its…'excessive danger'. Why do you ask?" Roy straightened himself, taking in a breath. He prepared his answer, his eyes becoming cold and distant.

"I'm from there. The Northern Wolf is my father."

Ozpin's eyes widened, this piece of information completely stunning. _This changes things dramatically…_ The headmaster didn't stay dazed for long, as he composed himself quickly. "Yes, well…this certainly is something I didn't expect. Viola went off the grid some seventeen years ago, but I wasn't aware that…" Roy raised a hand, a visibly pained expression on his face. Ozpin nodded, walking over to the swordsman and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I will see you tomorrow. I will be anxious to see your matches."

And with this, the wise Headmaster exited the room. Roy watched him leave, now with much more on his mind than he would have preferred. He sat next to his cuirass, as he now regarded it with a saddened glean in his eyes. He gets out of bed, picking the cuirass up and setting it gently on the floor next to the gauntlets. He looked around, only now realizing that the leg pieces of his armor were not with the other two sections of his armor. Looking around, he found them in a heap at the foot of his bed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he moved these too to the pile of armor and weapons now resting on the floor near his bed. The armor was always quite impressive to him, not simply because of its properties. Aesthetically, it was always appealing to him, the dark purple plates and intricate pieces coming together seamlessly. The arm pieces were built strong, articulated plates which covered his forearms, wrists, and even small plates which covered his knuckles. The leg pieces are smooth, perfectly contoured to his shape after years of his Aura attuning to it and the constant repairs and improvements he made. Roy picked up the clothes which were to be worn the next day under it and set them down on top of the pile of armor. Laying onto the bed, he looked up at the ceiling as the light went out.

He fell asleep quickly, fatigue finally setting in…

 **The next morning…**

Roy had slept surprisingly well, reasoning it was because it had been a few weeks since he had slept in an actual bed. He stretched out, and looked over at the armor. His face now had an eager look, as he lifted his gauntlets up onto the bed. Looking down, he saw that the pauldrons and other extraneous armor pieces were piled together next to each other, including the knee and elbow guards. First dressing in the black under-clothing, he pulled on the sleeved shirt and then the pants. The cloth wasn't meant to be exceptionally protective, but to stop any of the joints of his armor from pinching on his skin.

Next came on the cuirass, which he pulled and set down on his body. He pressed the button on the inside of his armor, and it began to constrict and tighten down on his chest. He smiled, feeling the familiar tight comfort of his armor becoming now one with his body. He bent over to test his armor's repairs, joyful to find that the reparations were a success as he was able to bend his back and abdomen at the same degree as always. He pulled on the gauntlets, pressing the actuators on the inside of his arms causing similar effects to his cuirass. The metal came over his arm and hands, pressing itself to his body and becoming one with his body's wills.

Roy kept placing his armor on, going slow and precise this morning. As each piece of his armor came to become part of the fluid, synched system on his body, he watched and felt as the Dust-infused metal attuned to his Aura. He felt the weight on his body, but it didn't bother him. He enjoyed the power, the feeling of wearing the suit. It fit his martial talents, from hand-to-hand to swordplay, it worked with his skills and kept him nearly completely safe at prime condition. He thrust his fist forward, smiling at the feeling; the armor does not move around on his body, it stays precisely where his body is. He knelt down, picking up his sword and flipping it into sword mode. He ran a gloved finger over the immaculate blade, his eyes examining the edge of the steel and the barrel of the gun which aimed from the spine of the blade. Roy couldn't help but smile that his sword and armor would be in peak condition for his first battles at Beacon.

He did not wait for long in his room for Yang and Ruby, who came in only a few minutes after he had gotten fully prepared. Gathering all of his things, he hoisted his rucksack onto his back and followed the sisters down the winding hallways of Beacon Academy. Not much was said, though Yang tried to hold some small talk with the swordsman. It seemed that his mind was elsewhere, though he was constantly noting where he had been, where they were going. It wasn't long before they came to a pair of larger doors, exiting into the expansive campus of Beacon Academy.

"Still seriously cool how big this place is."

Yang's statement wasn't lost on Roy's ears. He was in awe, having not seen the entirety of Beacon's massive space. He looked around, his senses in disarray as he tried to take in everything at once. Ruby smiled, nudging Yang with her elbow. "Think he's impressed?" The older sister laughed, gently patting the swordsman's cheek. "C'mon metal-man, let's get you some food." Roy snapped to attention, now following the quick pace of his companions.

 _Seriously though…this is pretty cool._

 **Later, in the Amphitheatre…**

After a good meal and Roy learning of Yang's insatiable need to make puns, they had finally arrived at the Amphitheatre, where a large group of students had gathered for the class. Roy was again amazed at the scale of Beacon's facilities, now fully aware as to why it was known as the premier combat school. The entirety of the seating area was situated in an elevated position which encircled a large elliptical arena, with a slightly smaller darker brown circle in the middle. Roy looked down into the arena, seeing that it had no irregularities, which forced only pure combat between the contestants. Yang waved to two other girls, who were seated on the third row from the very edge of the drop-off down into the circular battlefield.

The first girl, watching him with narrowed ice-blue eyes, stood near Ruby's height and wore a white skirt with lacy accents under a jacket with a red interior collar. Her snow-white hair was tied into an off-center ponytail which came down past her waist. This girl also had a belt tied around her waist, with a rapier at her side. Roy was quite impressed, as she was quite beautiful. Behind her stood a girl with raven black hair, wearing a small black bow on her head. This girl had vibrant yellow eyes, and she wore a white sleeveless undershirt under a black vest which had coattails from its back. Black stockings which gradually faded to purple covered her long legs, and he almost thought her attire was a little risqué in general, but shoved that thought aside as he grew closer to the two new ladies he was being introduced to.

"Weiss, Blake, this is Roy. He's new to Beacon. Roy, these are Ruby and I's other teammates." Roy offered a smile, nodding to both of the ladies.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Weiss continued to study him, while the woman in black beside her watched the crowds around them. Yang raised an eyebrow, looking over at Weiss. "What's up, Ice-Queen? See something you like?" Weiss snapped out of her stare, now stammering with frustration and a bit of embarrassment.

"No! I was just-Ugh!" She released an exasperated sigh, knowing it was just Yang teasing her. Roy raised an eyebrow, and looked between Weiss and Yang.

At this moment, Glynda Goodwitch walked into the great Amphitheatre, taking to the stage quickly as the students settled down. "Good morning. Today, we have a new student here at Beacon. If Roy de Chasse would please come down here…" Roy smiled, standing up from his brief place of rest. He dropped his rucksack near Yang's feet, adjusted his sword on its place on his back, and made quickly for the ledge down to the arena. Rather than taking the regular stairwell down, he hopped over, landing with his fist driving into the floor. Standing back up from his kneel, he walked to stand next to the now staring Professor.

After releasing an irritated sigh, she continued her speech. "Anyway…Roy requires a combat test, as we have nothing on his manuscripts about his skill in battle. Therefore, we will be testing him today. Three of you will be fighting him, one of his choice, one of mine, and one randomly picked from the rest. He must win or bring to a draw two of his three matches. Roy, you may choose your first opponent."

Roy scanned the various groups and standalone students seated above him. Looking around, his eyes first focused on Yang. He stopped on her for a moment, but shook his head. He looked slightly over to Blake, seeing her sword on her back. This intrigued him, as this would be a relatively even match in terms of weaponry. He considered Weiss as well, the same argument speaking to him. Roy's thoughts were interrupted however, when a hand raised itself into the air and caught his attention. It belonged to a rather meek young man, wearing white armor pieces over a black hooded top, along with blue pants. He had a sword in a similar white sheath at his hip, which jostled gently against him as he waved his fingerless-gloved hand gently. This man had messy blond hair, and dark-blue eyes which easily could be read to show that he was nervous.

"I see you have your hand up. What do you want?" Roy implored politely, seeing that this swordsman was certainly timid.

"Well, I was wondering if I could be your first opponent-"The timid blond was cut off by another armored fellow, who carried great size as he leaned down and pushed on the student below him.

"Yeah right, Jauney boy, like he'd want to fight a wimp like you." Roy's eyes narrowed at this, focusing like a lion stalking its prey. The larger student wore silver armor over a black top, with his primary chest-piece adorned by a gold bird with its wings outstretched. He had dark orange hair, swept back and pointed slightly at the front. Roy pointed to the silver-clad antagonist, his voice hard with vigor.

"You! What is your name?" The aggressive one stood up, holding his hands to his side.

"Cardin. Why, what's it to you?" Roy brought his hand down, his eyes locked on the bully.

"I wish to wipe that cocky grin from that face. I challenge you as my first opponent."

Cardin now had a cocky grin on his face, as he came around to the ledge of the seating area. Like Roy, he simply leapt down to the arena. Roy now saw his opponent's weapon, a large black mace, as the brute lifted it onto his shoulder. Cardin stood half a head taller than Roy, both standing tall as Cardin approached with a saunter, laughing confidently. "I'll be sending you home in a heap, Roy-boy." He swung his mace in front of him, lazily hefting it in a taunt before returning it to his shoulder.

Roy drew his sword, but surprised the crowd when he stabbed it into the ground in front of him, the blade facing Cardin. He brings his hands up in a martial stance, his left arm coming across him as his right arm comes behind it with a clenched fist. Professor Goodwitch raised an eyebrow at this action, though she moved things on her scroll until the lights changed, leaving only Cardin and Roy visible to all. The darkness only stopped at the edges of the circle, where Cardin now glared deviously at the swordsman.

"You gonna pick up your sword there?" Roy shook his head, now gently moving between the balls of his feet while his guard stayed up.

"I put my sword in the ground because I won't need her to defeat you here."

Cardin's face contorted to that of anger, instantly enraged by what he saw was false confidence. The mace-wielder began to charge, bringing his weapon to his side as he began to sprint for his aggressor. Roy ran towards him as well, moving equally quickly for his target. In the crowd, many of the students now watched in anticipation for this clash. Yang sat impressed, shocked by the sheer confidence Roy had in himself. Weiss seemed indifferent, almost certain that this would be a mistake. But one thought was shared among all the spectators as the two young men rushed each other…

This was to be one hell of a fight.

 **Well, here you go. I hope this was enjoyable to read, and was a good way to get into the cool stuff. If anyone has any suggestions, criticisms, or ideas, please send them my way via PM or the reviews. Until the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: The First Battle

Chapter 3

Cardin reared his arm back to swing at his opponent, but Roy was faster. Beating him to the first strike, he leapt upwards into a spinning kick which connected soundly with the mace-wielder's head. Staggering Cardin, Roy rushed in and threw two quick punches to unarmored parts of his body before jumping back as the mace was swung wildly at him. Keeping pace, the martial fighter jumped back again as Cardin recovered from the attack.

Growling angrily, Cardin moved in once more to swing, this time for an overhead slam. Roy leapt to the side, rolling away and around the mace as it smashed into the floor of the arena. The purple-clad warrior took advantage of his opponent's slow recovery, chopping his exposed side then grabbing Cardin by his left leg and hoisting him off his feet. The mace-wielder let out a yell as he was being swung in a circle at accelerating speed. Roy let go, throwing Cardin across the arena and sent tumbling across the floor until he came to a skidding halt. Cardin shook his head, now only angrier than before.

 **Meanwhile, in the spectator's area…**

Yang watched Roy with a smile on her face, seeing the cool, calculated warrior pick his shots and never once taking a hit. While she could see that he wasn't exerting nearly all of his energy, Yang could tell that was because he had to know he didn't have to. She gripped the railing in front of her tightly, as she saw he made a slip in his agile dodging… 

Roy moved to get out of the way of another heavy-handed swing of a mace, taking his time and picking his shots. However, Cardin smirked when he spotted what he saw was a weakness. Instead of going for another overhead slam, he decided to go for a sweeping attack starting from his left and coming across. He initiated, and Roy saw the attack coming. Rather than dodge like he had been doing, he prepared his Aura and raised his right arm in preparation to take the attack.

When he charged his Aura, however, various changes came to his armor and him. His armor flared out, his forearm armor pieces spreading out as to increase the surface area of his armor. The armor and his muscles seemed to grow slightly as his energy rose. As the mace came into contact, the armor and his arm tensed and took the impact. A shockwave emanated from the source, causing a loud _clang_ and a dust cloud to kick off the ground in a wave around the two combatants. While Cardin was stunned by the fact that Roy had stood his ground to the attack, he was further disturbed by the now gold pair of eyes glaring at him. Roy smirked, as his eyes reverted to their dark purple and his armor slid back to its normal form. Grabbing the mace, he yanked it out of his hands before jumping into a hard kick into his chest.

Cardin landed with a groan, standing up slowly. He stared at his opponent with anger, as the man now looked over the mace in his hands. Roy considered the mace for only a moment, before tossing it at Cardin. He caught the mace, confused by the magnanimous gesture. The fist-fighter didn't move, until he slowly shifted back into his martial stance.

"I have no use for your weapon."

The mace-wielder smirked, as he raised his weapon for another attack. Roy waited until he was mid-swing to maneuver, leaning only enough to move out of the way of the horizontal assault. The mace swung past his face, and he watched it push through the air with astounding force. Roy moved in immediately, throwing a harsh punch directly to Cardin's face. This caused him to lose his balance, and Roy moved in for an uppercut which knocked Cardin back and onto his backside.

 **Back in the spectator's area…**

Weiss was dumbfounded; how could Roy be easily keeping up with him without his weapon?! She certainly wasn't going to admit it to her teammates, but she was seeing exactly what Yang was talking about when she said he was worth keeping an eye on. Besides his obvious attracting qualities, he was showing to be an exceptional warrior. _Maybe I'll get to see him more in classes soon…_ She was intrigued by the thought; she was saying this in her head as if it was guaranteed that he would make it in. The heiress rested her chin between her hands as she was entranced by the combat occurring below…

 **In the arena…**

Roy performed a backhand spring away from another swing of Cardin's mace, landing a good distance away from it before taking his stance again. _I need to end this…_ Roy now took the offense, jumping into a kick which connected with the silver plating of Cardin's armor. Before any recovery could be made, Roy rushed him, driving his foot under Cardin's chin. The force sent Cardin into the air, causing him to drop his mace. The martial warrior followed him up into the air, leaping high into the air over him. He spun into a flip, driving his heel into the mace-wielder's abdomen which sent him flying into the ground. The ground around Cardin spiked up, revealing the force with which he was sent into the floor with. Roy landed next to his sword, as an alarm rang out.

"Well, it seems that Roy has taken this round. It seems I underestimated your prowess, Mr. de Chasse." Roy turned to Glynda after her statement, and bowed slightly.

"Thank you." He pulled his sword from the ground, returning it to its place on his back as the magnetic sheath took hold of it. On a screen which now illuminated as the lights came back on, a bar under Cardin's picture showed his Aura had dropped to the red zone. Roy's Aura had hardly changed at all, staying at nearly full power. Cardin picked himself up, walking out to the door out of the arena. "Lucky shot…" He cursed and grumbled as he left the field.

"Mr. de Chasse, I will now choose your next opponent..." The taciturn professor moved around student pictures on her scroll, looking through various opponents before settling with a particular red-haired girl. "Ms. Nikos, would you please come down here?" Roy watched as a girl stood up from her place next to the white-armored boy from earlier. She had a long ponytail which fell all the way down to her waist. Her deep green eyes were compassionate, catching Roy's attention instantly as she started to walk down to the arena. She wore a strapless light brown and bronze armor top, and a dark-brown miniskirt covered by a red sash. Armored greaves covered her long legs and boots, and he noted a short sword and small shield as her weapon. She came around to the stairwell, walking gracefully to the arena.

"Kick his butt, Pyrrha!" A shorter girl with orange hair yelled out from the stands, before being pulled back down by another student. Pyrrha waved to her, but turned her attention back to her new opponent. Roy, however, was captivated; she carried herself with confidence and poise, and seemed unfazed by the display of skill he had just given. He studied her as she came down and around to the arena floor, stopping opposite the hunter on the circle. She didn't move for her weapon, and stood relaxed across from her opponent.

"I look forward to facing you." Pyrrha smiled to him, extending a gloved hand in his direction. Roy came back to attention, his eyes now meeting hers for the first time.

"The same to you." Roy replied politely, keeping his eyes on his opponent. Professor Goodwitch moved items around on her scroll, and the lights dimmed around the two combatants. Once the lights had focused onto the two warriors, they drew their weapons. Pyrrha brought forth her short sword and shield, raising her shield in front of her. Roy brought his own blade in front of him, taking a guarded stance.

"Begin!"

But rather than rushing each other, the warriors waited, slowly pacing around the edge of the arena. They eyed each other warily, watching for the movement to strike. The air grew tense, as they kept their eyes locked on each other. The crowd felt the energy as well, growing closer and closer to the edges of their seats. Someone had to attack, but no one would.

Pyrrha kept her guard up, observing cautiously for her rival to approach. _When will he make his move?_ The Spartan pondered in her head as she studied his eyes. Those dark-purple orbs stayed on her, maintaining a look of sheer intensity and unwavering intimidation. Any other would have crumbled at the steely glare. She leveled an equally damning leer, as Pyrrha kept close watch on every part of her opponent. _He's certainly not too harsh on the eyes…_ Pyrrha shoved that thought aside, knowing such things could distract her from him, and that couldn't be afforded.

Roy kept his blade pointed at his new opponent, knowing she will be fast enough to close the distance should he lower his guard. _She must have some plan…She was too confident coming down here._ The swordsman studied her movements, observing the woman across from her. Pyrrha kept a hard glare on him, just as he leveled his own at her. Her shield stayed raised, her sword arm cocked and ready to strike. _She's the most impressive warrior I've seen…Not too difficult to keep an eye on, either._ He forced the thought away, mentally shaking it away. Roy couldn't afford to let any distractions shake his focus, especially against a well-trained opponent like this one.

Then the battle began.

Pyrrha stepped in quickly, moving into an overhead slash. Roy blocked this attack, but had to swiftly block a shield bash coming for his body. Their exchange was fast, as steel clashed against steel rapidly in a short time. Roy leapt backwards, Pyrrha pulling her shield back to its place in front of her. Now Roy moved on the offense, throwing hard slashes at the Spartan. Pyrrha blocked each slash, moving her shield only slightly to deflect each successive strike. The katana-wielder didn't let up, only increasing the pressure as he swung faster and at strange angles. Pyrrha jumped backwards, but was met by a fist slamming through her opened defense, knocking her backwards.

She rolled, coming up immediately and raising her shield. She looked around, confused. _Where did he go?_ Pyrrha looked upward, gasping before leaping out of the way; Roy came down and smashed into the ground where she once stood. He stood back up, now faced with Pyrrha's offense. Stepping in quickly, she slashed with her spear before pushing in with a shield bash. Roy was pushed back, but was able to block her attacks. Pyrrha went forward, releasing a quick combo of slashes before slamming down on Roy from above. Roy caught her spear with his sword in an overhead block, and shot a small smile. He grabbed her weapon, but was interrupted when the firearm inside of it shot off. This caused his arm to jerk backwards, as he didn't expect this. Pyrrha slammed him, knocking him off his feet with a mighty slam of her shield.

Roy got back up, bringing his weapon back in front of him. "You're most impressive, Ms. Nikos. I'd hate to let this fight quickly." He raised his sword as Pyrrha approached coolly. "You've skill yourself. I'd hate to let you win easily." Roy smiled, leaping forward as Pyrrha did as well. Their blades clashed, and both were forced to jump backwards as their forces equaled out. Roy then took a stance, bringing his sword to his hip as if it was sheathed. Pyrrha waited, but decided she had to attack.

Before she could connect an attack, Roy pulled the trigger on his weapon, causing the rifle in his sword to fire off. The additional force of the gun with his own swinging speed caused him to slash his opponent with extreme speed and force, sending her flying backwards. He could hear one of her teammates shout out from the spectator's ring as she tumbled. Pyrrha stood back up, shaking her head to clear the fatigue from the attack.

"Iaijutsu?" Roy stood straight for a moment, though keeping his guard up. "My mother taught me," Roy replied just loud enough to be heard by his opponent. Pyrrha furrowed her brow, now studying him with far more scrutiny than before.

 _What sort of swordsman is he?_ Pyrrha came closer, slowly moving towards Roy. She stepped in, her spear changing into a sword as she moved in for rapid slashes. Roy had to move quickly to block her onslaught, just barely keeping up with her. Her last slash hit home, cutting him across his shoulder. Rolling with the hit, Roy fell into a roll as he moved away from Pyrrha. However, she moved in, giving him a wicked kick to the chest before he could get his guard up.

Her sword shifted back to a spear as she moved in for a stab. Roy tensed his left arm, causing three small, angled blades to come out. Pulling his arm in front of the spear, he wrenched it from Pyrrha's grip as he rolled away with it. The spear was sent skittering across the arena floor as he threw his arm away, the blades retreating back into his armor. Pyrrha threw her shield at him, the bronze disc sent at him at high speeds. Roy ducked, as it flew over his head. Pyrrha took advantage of this, leaping over him and taking her shield back from the air. She reached her spear, turning around in time to receive a slash.

Roy kept up his offense, throwing slashes in rapid succession against her shield. While she was able to make offensive moves herself, she was essentially forced onto the defensive. This is, until she used her own Semblance. Roy went for a slash to her arm, following an opening being made. She maneuvered her hand, gently using her own Aura to push the blade away from her, but only just enough to throw his aim off. He slashed into the ground, but he saw clearly what she had done. _Polarity as a Semblance? This woman…_ He growled, and rather than using his sword, he threw a kick at her. She went for the same trick to get past Roy's leg, but to no avail. She was knocked backwards, staggering back as the force forced her away.

"What?" She let out a breath, surprise momentarily taking her senses. Roy stepped in, pushing against her shield in a lock. The two stood still, their muscles exerting equal forces against each other.

"Your Semblance has no effect on my armor. Metal made from Dust is not affected by magnetism." Roy stepped forward after his statement, throwing her backwards with the force of his weight behind his arms. Pyrrha grimaced, realizing that this will be pure battle, without the use of her Semblance. She got ready, and they rushed once again for each other.

The two impressive warriors exchanged attacks and shifted from offense to defense as if they were having a conversation. The battle became fluid, effortlessly and quickly shifting tide and rhythm. However, the intensity only seemed to mount higher and higher as they went on. The spectators were on the edge of their seat, as they observed the two skilled combatants with awe. Glynda, too, could only view the battle with high intrigue. This battle had dragged into its twentieth minute, going far longer than most sparring matches. She then looked at their Aura levels, and raised her eyebrows in surprise. They were both draining steadily, now dipping past 30 percent. _This fight's going to end soon, and they know it…_

Roy fell backwards, as fatigue finally set in on his muscles. He felt his breath start to run ragged past his teeth, heavier and hotter. However, he could see that his opponent didn't fare any better, as she too was letting out heavy breathes. Roy rushed her, throwing a heavy-handed punch at her. She sidestepped it, moving to the left while creating distance between them. Roy didn't push forward as he would have earlier, forced to conserve his energy. He grimaced, any more pitched combat like this would only make taking victory even harder.

 _I've got one last thing to try…_

Roy leapt backwards, creating distance between him and the red-haired warrior. He put his sword on his back, as his Aura flared. The dark purple energy grew around him as he thrust his arms out in front of him. He lined up his body with Pyrrha, mentally and physically preparing. Pyrrha took a defensive stance, her shield raised and ready. In the stands above, Weiss realized what Roy was preparing to do. "Oh no!" Roy's eyes flashed, changing to emerald green as he slid his foot backwards.

In a flash, Roy moved in on Pyrrha, smashing his fist into her shield. The resulting blast caused a resonating noise which caused everyone in company to jump, the clash of metal ringing throughout the arena. Following the noise was the wave of energy which blasted air around the combatants, whipping up all the dust, clothing, and even a few of the lighter students off the ground and into the air with it. Roy was sent flying backwards, as was his opponent. The blast was intense, but everyone presiding recovered as fast as they could so they might see who had claimed victory.

As the dust settled, everyone could see that Pyrrha and Roy both stood tall. They looked at each other, meeting each other's eyes in the aftermath of the battle. Roy's legs were the first to give out, as he pulled his sword out and caught himself with it. He held onto it weakly, his body now sapped of energy. Pyrrha fell too, falling to a knee as her spear fell from her grip. They kept their eyes together, refusing to look anywhere but at each other. It was as if they planned to battle until they were no more, their intensity never faltering once.

That is, until Pyrrha spoke.

"I concede."

The crowd gasped, and Roy actually lost grip of his sword. He fell to his hands and knees, looking back up at her with shock in his eyes. "What?! But…you clearly had claimed victory…"

Pyrrha shakily stood up, walking slowly to her former opponent. "Even if I could claim this as a victory, it would be a greater loss if I couldn't have the chance to face you on the battlefield again after this." She offered him a hand, which he regarded with surprise. He took the hand tentatively, and she helped him to his feet. The swordsman watched this now regarded goddess of battle reach down and pluck his sword from the ground, then hold it towards him with a smile. He took hold of it with her, now returning her smile.

"May we meet here again, Ms. Nikos." She held his sword fast, stopping him from taking it. "Please, call me Pyrrha…Roy." He was stunned, but nodded slowly in response. She relented her grip, allowing him to take his sword back. Glynda Goodwitch came forward into the ring, a small smile on her face.

"Well, I am pleased to say that you have claimed your two victories. Welcome to Beacon." Roy bowed to the Professor, a smile growing on his face. "Professor Ozpin? Your thoughts?"

The students gasped, none aware of their Headmaster's presence. Ozpin came down the steps, coming up to the edge of the spectator's area. "That was most impressive, you two. Roy, I'm pleased to welcome you to Beacon Academy. It's a shame that we won't see a third fight from you today…"

"Indeed. I'll be certain to stay active in this class, then." Roy nodded to the Headmaster, as the middle-aged man walked around to where teams RWBY and the three members of JNPR sat.

"I have come to a conclusion as to how and where you will live. You will work in tandem with both team RWBY and team JNPR…" Roy raised his eyebrows, surprised by this decision.

"Of course, sir. But where will I live?"

"With Team RWBY, of course."

"What?!" The four members of Team RWBY voiced their opinions in unison. Blake's voice was more of concern than of alarm. Weiss was stunned, how could Ozpin put one guy in a room of girls? Yang was much more excited, especially to have a big chance to get to know Roy better.

Ruby only yelled it out because she wasn't listening…

 **Well, that was slightly weird at the end. Hopefully that was a fitting end to this 'arc', really more of an intro.**

 **But from here, I have some freedom. By some, I mean a lot. So, if anyone would like to give suggestions and/or ideas for one-shot chapters (to be written and placed in between larger, planned story arcs), please leave them in the review sections (or PM them to me, either way). But from here, it's free writing.**

 **~To the people who left reviews, thank you for the helpful criticism. I read it over, and I saw exactly what you meant. Still learning, I hope to remember this lesson on indenting.**

 **Hope everyone enjoys it so far. Have a good day, and happy holidays!**


	4. Chapter 4: Teammates

Chapter 4

 **Three hours have passed…**

"And here's our room!" Yang exclaimed as she walked in ahead of the rest of Team RWBY, with Roy in tow. Roy took in the room, first looking at the rather strangely built bunk bed on his left. His eyebrows raised at the sight of the suspended bed, but he didn't question it. The room had a surprising amount of room left over because of the bunk-beds. Ruby hopped up onto the dangling bed, while Weiss and Blake walked around his sides. All four girls watched, waiting for a more formal reaction from Roy.

"I like this," Roy nodded gently, as he reached into his rucksack. "It's…cozy."

Weiss gave a smile to him, beaming with pride. "We try to keep the room as organized as we can-"

Weiss was crestfallen, however, when she looked up and realized he wasn't paying attention. Rather, he was studying the bare wall on the right side of the room. Roy reached into his bag, pulling out two metal squares connected by a bundle of black and green cords. Studying the wall, he tapped the wall a few times before nodding. Looking across to the opposite wall, he pressed buttons on the metal boxes and tossed the device into the air. The metal boxes shot off in opposite directions, latching onto the wall and forming the cords into a decent sized hammock.

"A nylon-cord survival hammock." Blake spoke up from Roy's right, spurring a small smile from the swordsman.

"Yeah. I wouldn't have thought anyone here would have seen one before." Roy set his rucksack underneath his hammock, effectively reducing the amount of space he and his possessions took up in the room to just where the hammock hung. Weiss gave a small 'hmph', watching the armor-clad man quietly pull out things from his bag along with her teammates.

"Do you want any help moving in, Roy?" Ruby swung her legs back and forth from her bed, eagerly smiling down to him.

"I should be alright for now, thank you." Her new roommate replied shortly, much to the rest of the team's confusion. He then pulled out multiple books, massive tomes with leather-wrapped covers. Each had one of two symbols, either that of a fire burning in front of an anvil or that of a wolf's head. The stack piled up quickly near his side, then being followed by another smaller stack of smaller journal-looking books. Following his stack of books was a metal case, cylindrical with what seemed to be a twist-off cap. Besides some various other tools and items, there were only two items which caught RWBY's attention; a long but thick dagger made from some type of bone, and a small piece of wood with a picture under a piece of glass. He slid all of his belongings beside his hammock, and promptly hopped onto it in his armor. Surprisingly, it was revealed that the hammock was strong enough to hold him, suspending the warrior quite comfortably over his belongings.

"Well, now that you've gotten settled in, I think it's time you went and met Team JNPR, then we can talk about-"

Weiss stopped at the gentle noise of breathing, as the realization dawned on her that Roy had fallen asleep. Yang could hardly stop laughing, when she saw Weiss' anger start to flare. Ruby too laughed, finding her partner's frustration to be hilarious. Blake was merely surprised that anyone could fall asleep so quickly.

"That's it!" Weiss stomped over to Roy, grabbing his hammock and spinning it over with great effort on her part. Once Roy started to free-fall to the floor, he woke back up. Extending his limbs straight down, he caught himself before he landed on his face. He stood up quickly, now looking down at an angry Weiss. It didn't take any time at all for him to realize the fault in his behavior. He raised his hands defensively, with a meek expression.

"Sorry?"

Weiss' anger clearly intimidated the armored young man, much to the rest of the team's surprise and amusement. Weiss pointed a finger at him, pressing it down on his chest. "Now you listen, mister! When you're in here, you better listen to anyone who's talking to you! I better expect you to be a perfect gentleman in here!" Roy's tall stature did nothing to detract from the Ice Queen's wrath, his dark eyes now wide and alert as she accosted him.

"And furthermore, you shouldn't be taking a nap when you have to go and meet Team JNPR still! Do I make myself clear?" She gritted her teeth, anger seething at this man's behaviors. Roy nodded slowly, before slowly raising a hand to take the white-haired girl's hand. He lowered it gently, and gave her a small, disarming smile.

"Understood, Weiss."

Weiss was taken aback by this sudden shift, expecting a much less civilized reaction. _He's certainly a different type of boy...Still, I doubt this will be the last time I deal with this._ She gave a satisfied grin, much to Roy's relief. She took his arm, and led him to the door. Pointing down the hallway at the door down one and across the hall, she showed him where to go.

"Just go, introduce yourself, and socialize a bit. You can take a nap after that, okay?"

There was a moment after Roy was gently pushed towards the next room in which the swordsman was hesitant. He stood still as he stared down the hallway at the pale face of the door. The door shut quietly behind him, leaving him no real choice but to go to the next room.

 _I really have to learn how my Scroll works, anyway..._ He reached to his hip, pulling the aforementioned device from a leather pouch. He opened it, but nothing gave him a clear direction towards a door-lock opening action. Without any other option, he walked silently down the hall. He raised his hand to the door, and knocked three times.

"Who is it?" The voice was familiar, immediately clicking in Roy's mind as belonging to Pyrrha.

"Roy. This is Team JNPR's dorm, correct?"

The door swung open, and the hunter was met with the smiling face and deep green eyes of the Spartan warrior. She stepped to the side, gesturing to the room.

"Come in, the rest of the team will be happy to meet you." Pyrrha watched her new teammate enter, with a small amount of caution in his step. _He must not be used to an environment like this…_ Without warning, a blur of pink, orange and a bit of black zoomed for Roy. Roy's eyes identified the flying mass of person, and moved his arms slightly and caught the girl in a bridal style of carriage. The hyperactive girl was now giggling in his arms, much to Pyrrha and Roy's surprise.

"Is this how you greet all the men who enter here?"

With a small laugh, she hopped right out of his arms and landed on her toes. "Nope, just you!" Behind her, sat a boy with dark black hair sans a stripe of dark pink on his left side. He wore a dark-green coat with light tan pants. He seemed exceptionally calm, especially with his hyperactive teammate's antics. He spoke, voice level and controlled as it halted the petite ball of energy's movements.

"Nora, give him space. He's likely still getting used to his surroundings."

"Gotcha, Ren!" She saluted him, and hopped over to one of the four beds, where two sat across from another pair. He spied the bathroom behind that, nearly identical to the room he stayed in. The room was definitely far more spacious than that of Team RWBY's, possibly due to the great amount of belongings each of those girls had.

"Ren, Nora, it's nice to meet you both. Where's your fourth member?"

"Oh, Jaune went down to the vending machine. Said something about needing some 'study fuel'." Nora laughed after that statement, to Roy's confusion. Pyrrha tapped his shoulder, and pointed to a trashcan filled with empty bags of pretzels.

"He enjoys eating those and reading comic books before he goes to bed." Roy nodded, as the door opened, turning everyone's attention to it. Jaune stepped in, and Roy immediately smiled at his entrance. "The challenger!" Roy approached Jaune, who had dropped his beloved snacks at the sight of the massively armored fellow in his dorm.

"Uh…hi?" Jaune stood confused at Roy's suddenly friendly behavior towards him, as the swordsman clasped his now open hand in a bone-crushing handshake.

"You're the one who wanted to challenge me today! That's most bold of you! I can't wait to face you in the field of battle!" Jaune's expression gave away to his teammates that he was terrified by the prospect, but to Roy, it spelled a different tale.

"Oh, you must be desiring your snacks!" He stooped down, snatching the crinkling bag from the ground in a rather gentle fashion. "There you are."

Jaune slowly stepped around him, moving towards his own bed. "Thanks. Uh, well, it's nice to meet you too. I hope we get to have some classes together. I'd love to talk more, but I need to get some rest." Roy looked out the window, and saw the sun had yet to set over the horizon.

"It's only about four o' clock."

Pyrrha pulled her Scroll out, and saw it was indeed four. "How did you know that?" Roy turned around to face her, with a knowledgeable look in his eye.

"Back home, my father and I hunted together all day. I was taught how to determine the time from the sun. Just one of those things I picked up from him." Pyrrha tilted her head slightly, curious to his intellect. She stepped around him, coming over to stand with her other teammates.

"That sounds like it was a great learning experience," the red-head commented, which sprung a smile on the purple-clad hunter's face.

"Yeah, it was." He seemed to go silent for a moment, as a wave of melancholy crashed over him. Nora picked up on this first, bouncing up from her spot on her bed and next to him.

"Hey! Why don't you go and get to know your roomies a bit better?" Roy snapped back to reality, but was quick to recover.

"Oh, right. Well, it was good to meet you all. I'll certainly see you tomorrow…by the way, what is tomorrow?"

"Saturday. We have tomorrow and Sunday off." Nora skipped gently behind the bulky fellow, who stopped to internalize the fact for a moment. The orange-haired girl bumped into his back, actually rebounding off of him due to his weight. He nodded, and waved goodbye. He turned, but was stopped by a quick "Wait!" from Jaune.

"Yes, Jaune?"

The rest of his teammates turned to face him, as he prepared a question. After a breath, he spoke inquisitively. "How'd you do that thing with your eyes?" Roy's brow lowered, as he leveled a serious glare in JNPR's leader's direction.

"What do you mean?" Roy stepped back towards Jaune, who now stood up with his own look of determination.

"When you blocked Cardin's attack, and when you attacked Pyrrha at the end of your match. Your eyes changed color, gold and green." Roy stepped back, almost as if falling into thought.

"They change color?" He seemed shocked, but he kept his composure. Jaune stopped his aggression at the sight, but stayed strong. "Yeah. I was wondering if you knew why." Roy shook his head only slightly, but turned to the door.

"I'll see you all later. Breakfast's on me…" And with that, Roy departed, closing the door quickly behind him.

Pyrrha seemed the most troubled by his last action, though Ren was hard to read for emotions.

"He seems nice." Nora was the first to speak, beaming a cheerful smile on her face. Ren nodded, though Jaune seemed to ponder.

"He's hiding something. I know that much." Jaune crossed his arms, though didn't seem to hold any hate towards the subject matter.

"When I faced him, I saw something in his eyes when he mentioned his mother. He's in pain, and something tell me…he knows exactly what you meant when you mentioned his eyes."

In the hallway, Roy stood quiet outside Team RWBY's door. His eyes reflected the pain in his heart, but he knew he had to fight it down. With effort, he forced the heaviness in his chest down and out. _I'll have to learn more about that…Father only told me so much about his family's lore…and besides…_ He felt a chill run along his back, but it faded as quickly as it came. He knocked on the door, bringing another small smile onto his face. Weiss opened the door, and seemed almost happy when she found Roy on the other side.

"You're back. Did you introduce yourself?" She crossed her arms, standing perfectly in the way of the door. Roy nodded, and she moved out of his way with a pleased smile.

"They're good people. I'll enjoy working with them." He walked in, greeted by Ruby laying on his hammock and Blake quietly organizing his books. He didn't give them the impression he was affronted by their movement into his space, but he was a bit confused by their quick assimilation of his presence.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I saw your books, and I thought it'd be better if they were organized in some way." Blake bowed her head slightly in shame, though Roy gave her a smile.

"It's okay. But it was likely a hard job. These can't be found at your local book store." Blake turned, looking at the tomes which lay near her feet.

"Then where did you get them?" Roy knelt down, bringing a book from one of the two piles his ebony-colored teammate could organize, one with a wolf's head on it. The swordsman released a sigh before he spoke.

"They're all written by my mother. The ones with the wolf are of my father's family, their history, techniques and lore. The anvil is her own family's history. All of them are one-of-a-kind." He set the book back down, and smiled to Blake. "You're free to read them, as long as they're well taken care of." He held the book out to Blake, who took it from him with a small smile.

"Of course." Blake actually smiled at the prospect of reading rare books. Roy turned back around, walking over to the area of the room next to his hammock's support hold. He lowered onto his knee, pressing the release on his left arm's gauntlet. Blake quietly tiptoed back to her bunk, getting comfortable before opening the book and beginning to read.

Weiss walked over behind Roy, stopping to look over his shoulder. The armor on the hunter's arm began to quietly slide around, loosening until it came off. He pulled it off, along with a portion of the black cloth which he wore under it.

"What do you think of Beacon so far, Roy?" Weiss spoke with an almost expectant tone, a smile on her face.

"It's remarkable." His response was noncommittal, the warrior's mind clearly not focused on answering Weiss' inquiries. Weiss' good manner deflated, but she was quick to try again.

"Do you want to plan anything tomorrow? I was planning on making the trip to Vale, if you wished to join me." Weiss placed a hand on her hip, her tone attempting to be flirtatious.

"I'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here." Roy pressed the release on his right arm's armor, watching it come loose with a careful eye. Weiss let out a frustrated sigh, losing her cool quickly. _I told him to pay attention when I- any of us spoke!_ The white-haired heiress' thoughts were cut off as Yang got up and walked over to Roy. The blonde propped herself against the wall next to her new roommate's armor, crossing her arms and looking down at him with an intrigued look.

"You ever had any girlfriends, Roy?"

"No, Yang." The armor on his arm came off, leaving both of his arms completely bare. Yang seemed only intrigued by that answer.

"Really? And how could that be?"

There was a pause between the question and the answer, as Roy had activated the release on his cuirass, and the armor had to loosen with his back straight. He pulled the cuirass off, along with the black cloth underneath it. Now left in a purple cloth short sleeve, he then went to work on the armor plates around his hips and rear.

"I don't talk much, apparently."

Yang blinked, clearly meeting the wall other girls had. She shot a look to Weiss, who had a look of irritation on her face. The two sighed in unison, and began to walk away from the disrobing hunter.

With a look of curiosity, Ruby hopped down from her own bunk. The young leader looked over Roy's tense shoulder at the armor. With an eager look, she then sat down next to Roy, who was working on getting his greaves off. Roy only gave her a glance, before returning to his task.

"How does your armor come loose like that?" Ruby pointed to the greave he was currently releasing, watching it slide and move on its own.

"Each piece of armor was crafted using Dust. By using my own body's energy, and some complex mechanics, the armor is capable of adhering to my shape and coming loose from a variety of release mechanisms." Roy pulled the greave off, and held it out in front of his so Ruby could view into the inside. She studied it, surprised to see hundreds of small plates underneath the larger plates on the exterior.

"See here, the armor has actually grown in order to match and work with my body's musculature." Ruby nodded, pointing to the release buttons near the top.

"Why are there more than one of these?"

Roy smiled, as he set the greave down with his other armor pieces. "The armor can come off multiple ways. Generally, I put it on like I take it off, one piece at a time. I can, however, activate a release on my cuirass which lets me come out of the armor as a whole in one go. This method lets me inspect my armor as well as take it off."

Ruby's eyes lit up in excitement, cheerful giddiness on the topic taking over calm discussion. "That's so cool!" Roy nodded in agreement, as he removed the last few pieces of his armor. Once his armor was removed, he then picked up his gauntlet, which still had a piece of the black cloth inside of it.

"Ruby, look here." Ruby scooted over, looking at the gauntlet from her head's perch on his shoulder. "See, the clothing I wear underneath is also capable of segmenting, as it has come apart from the main piece here." His companion peered closer, seeing indeed small metal clips where the cloth could reattach.

"That's probably so that the armor can be cleaned in separate stages." Roy nodded, and held the bracer out in front of Ruby.

"That's correct. Want to try it on?"

"Will it fit? It looks way too big." Roy's eye gave off a playful intent, as he took Ruby's arm. He placed the gauntlet on her arm, and when he let go, the armor started closing onto her arm. However, it wasn't dangerous; the armor only became snug on her arm. Regardless, Ruby let out a small noise in fear, falling backwards onto her back. Roy let out an uproarious laugh, slapping his knee at the amusing sight.

Ruby sat back up, shaking her head. Her past fear was now replaced with elation, as the armor had now become perfectly snug around her arm. The gauntlet was now much smaller, but also much thicker as the armor plates had stacked upwards to match the user's size. However, the greatest change was in its color; now a ruby red rather than its original dark purple. Ruby's arm faltered, as the weight finally took its toll on her arm. Roy held her arm up, letting her study it with complete freedom.

"This is so cool." Roy's eyes reflected a now cheerful gleam, clearly pleased by this welcome study. Ruby looked it over only a while longer, before holding it out for Roy to take back. Roy carefully pressed the release, and pulled the bracer off once it was fully loose. He pulled the bracer on, and it re-configured its size and color back to his own shape.

"I think so, too. How about you show me more of Crescent Rose?" Ruby disappeared in a flash, bringing said weapon over to him. The two then went into discussion, as Ruby explained and showed her new friend her weapon. Meanwhile, Yang and Weiss stood with jaws agape at Ruby's complete success where they failed. The girls looked at each other, disbelief in their eyes.

 _Well…that's a thing._ Yang shrugged, walking over to her dresser on the other side of the room. Weiss huffed, walking to her own side of the room. During this time, Blake had read much into the book she was given, as it was nearly a third opened. The black-haired scholar then looked to Roy, who was in discussion of Crescent Rose's magazine capacity. She looked back to the book once more, before moving over to the edge of her bed.

"Roy? I have a question regarding this book." Blake pointed to the page she was on, which had many different colored eyes drawn on them, with small blocks of text next to them.

The hunter seemed to realize instantly what the subject was, and his demeanor immediately shifted into a more serious look. Ruby looked at the book as well, more intrigued by what she determined was art. Roy looked at it, but turned his gaze to his teammate. "Yes, Blake?"

"I saw your eyes change color today. I only want to know how much you know about it."

Roy's expression seemed to soften, though he certainly was hesitant to respond. "I only recently got these books, so I haven't read them all yet. I only know what I learned myself about whatever my Semblance is." Blake flipped the book back around, reading a particular section once again. She flipped the book back around, pointing to a purple eye in the middle of the second page. Ruby and Roy both leaned in to read the section she wanted them to.

"It says here that with practice, someone with these eyes can learn to some degree all the Semblances in here, though there's only eight they can actually master. Most of the time, a new ability is mentally unlocked by some sort of event, though they can be learned through practice," Blake summarized as Roy nodded his head thoughtfully. The hunter looked across all the summaries, finding the two it would seem everyone had seen earlier.

"I certainly need to read all these when I can. I wasn't taught much of our history, only small bits that were relevant. My mother caused quite an uproar when she told my father's father about her idea." He laughed softly, though he fell silent after his statement.

Blake sensed his sudden melancholy, and pulled the book away. "Well, in any case, maybe we could all train together, learn some more about each other that way." Roy nodded, standing up along with Ruby.

"That sounds good. But right now, I require sustenance. Can we go find food?"

 **Three hours later…**

Everyone had changed into their sleepwear, getting settled in for sleep. Roy had to change in the bathroom, and wait until the girls had changed for him to re-enter the room. Weiss sat with her Scroll, looking over small videos for a class. Yang and Blake were talking about something they saw in one of Roy's books, an amusing comic depicting a man getting a nosebleed from seeing a girl in the shower. Ruby was reading, laying on her stomach as she glanced over a textbook.

Everything stopped for a moment when Roy entered. Team RWBY had to take a double take at what they had witnessed; Roy's bare chest. His muscles seemed to pulse with radiating strength as he walked over to his hammock. The hunter's arms were beautifully toned, his chest and abdomen brimming with muscle. The moment ended as he flopped onto his hammock, and promptly fell asleep.

Yang, Weiss, and Blake all sat with equally red faces, though different expressions were painted on their faces. Yang's jaw was agape, the blonde in a stupor at the fantastic sight she witnessed. Weiss had covered her face to mask her blush, more that she had been surprised by the sudden intrusion of muscle into her vision. Blake simply had red cheeks, but maintained her composure at the spectacle.

"Oh…my." Blake spoke with surprise, but retained her cool composure.

Yang fell off of her partner's bed, letting out a tiger growl after she landed ungracefully on her back. Weiss looked down at her teammate, and shook her head disapprovingly at Yang's actions. Blake went back to her book, though a lingering thought proved too distracting for her to read much further. Placing her bookmark on the page, she adjusted herself in her bed for sleep. To her left, Yang got up and climbed onto her bunk.

"G'night, everyone."

With a unanimous 'Good night' from everyone, the lights went out and the room was covered in darkness. Under the light of the moon, Blake continued to think about her new teammate, keenly aware that he was hiding many things from them. _He knows a lot more than he's letting on. And…what about his mother causes that look in his eye?_ She turned her eyes in the dark, spotting him clearly. His eyes weren't closed, and he was doing just as she did; lying awake in the night with the burden of his thoughts in his heart.

 _All I know…is that this is going to change everything._

 **Sorry if this turned out weird. Hopefully, I can pick up more momentum in the next chapter. Remember, if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, or constructive criticism (don't just plaster hate, please), please send them my way. I'll definitely take them and try to build a chapter, or arc, based on them. As much as I can come up with in this story, I may run into a wall. Please send me your ideas!**

 **Have a nice day!**


	5. Chapter 5: First Hunt, Team Bonding 1

Chapter 5

The sky was dark, only small stripes of light cutting through the clouds above in the early morning. Leaves skittered across the forest floor in the dark, echoing as the only noise to be heard in the early morning. A lone Beowolf stalked the woods, sniffing the air for other creatures. Hardly visible against the trees, the Grimm beast moved slowly up the slight gradient of the hillside. There was a small noise, a twig snapping to its left. The Beowolf snapped its head to the side, staring at the source of the noise. In a flash, the beast's head jerked along with the blast of a firearm, falling limp to the ground.

 _Boarbatusk rounds…The truest of gifts cousin Octavius brought into this world._

Roy ran to the body, pulling his bone knife out of his belt loop. "I only have about a minute before the body starts to disappear…" The hunter cut into the skin of the beast, ripping the hide of the beast off with only his knife's edge. He worked expertly, his hands sure and the cuts precise from practice. The body of the Beowolf began to disappear, starting at the head where he began his cut. Roy worked quicker, cutting it slightly shorter than he would've liked to. The armor-clad hunter pulled the pitch-black skin away, watching as the body it once covered began to fade into dust. Releasing a small breath, he admired his prize; a long length of fur which extended out two feet to the sides and four feet long. Roy reached to his back, pulling his rucksack in front of him. He opened the bag, placing the smelling hide next to four similar hides which all were wrapped in a plastic cover.

Closing his bag, he allowed himself to sit down next to where the Beowolf had died. Roy brought his rifle in front of him, and pulled out an assortment of rounds. In his hand sat two Boarbatusk rounds, which were considerably larger than the other rounds and colored a dull gray. Along with those were a variety of colorful rounds, marking elemental Dust rounds, and a small amount of bronze regular rounds. He grimaced, irritated by the shortage of ammunition.

 _At least there's one of Octavius' shops in the city of Vale…Still…_

Roy shook his head, and pulled out a list from a pouch on his hip. Written on it in pencil over numerous marks of erased letters was a list, spelling out a variety of targets and supplies he required from the forest. He checked off a box which stated, 'Min. 4 Beowolf Hides.' Reading over the list, he only saw that he needed meat for his breakfast. Roy looked out across the woods, trying to discern what edible game traveled through those woods.

 _Well, unless there are Ursa wandering tonight, I'll have to settle for venison…_

Roy looked around, the dark purple in his eyes unconsciously flickering a pale blue, like a small lamp going off in the night. From his eyes, he could start to make out Aura signatures in the darkness. The hunter spied an unsuspecting deer, craning its head to take bites of the grass below it. Roy's eyes stopped flickering, and he pulled his rifle from his back. Dropping into a crouch, he slowly crept closer toward his prey. He raised the gun to his shoulder, taking aim at the deer. It looked up, looking around for any predators. Roy pulled the lever on his rifle, and loaded in his next shot. He and the deer met eyes, and for a moment, the world fell still.

Roy's eyes flitted up, and in an instant, a shot fired off, and a great _boom_ resonated through the woods.

The deer took off as soon as the gun fired its round, frantically sprinting away unaware of its savior's actions. Roy had spotted an Ursa Minor in the bush behind it, and fired slightly to the left of the deer. The Ursa collapsed, and Roy ran to its corpse. Looking it over, he smiled with victory. "I suppose an Ursa Minor could feed nine of us…" The hunter knelt down, taking his learned steps for preserving a Grimm's body. He took his knife from the belt loop, and plunged it into the Ursa's skull, precisely where the neck and head met. As he was told, this was to halt the process which begins in the brain; the degradation of the Grimm's bodies.

Roy waited to see if he had succeeded in his task, and smiled when he noted that no decaying had begun, besides the Ursa's own blood dripping out of the open wound. Taking its body onto his shoulders, the hunter started to jog back towards Beacon Academy at a quick pace…

* * *

 **In Team RWBY's dorm…**

Blake yawned quietly, stretching her limbs outward as she awoke from a good sleep. The black-haired huntress blinked her eyes, sitting up in her bed as she began to wake up. In an instant, she stood up with a realization; Roy was not on his hammock. Rather, there was a piece of paper left in the middle of it. Blake picked the note up, reading it silently to herself.

 _Roommates,_

 _I will be waking up early to go hunting, and will likely not be there when you wake. I will be making breakfast today for you and JNPR. If you would wait at the dining hall for my return, I would like to share this meal with all of you._

 _-Roy_

Blake set the note back down on his hammock, and walked away to the window. The sun had risen, morning light shining through the glass. Blake sighed, crossing her arms over her yukata. _He's going to get himself killed going out there alone…_ She forced that thought aside, and heard the sounds of her teammates waking up. Shaking her head, Blake walked over to her dresser, and decided to get changed.

 _I have a breakfast to go to._

 **In Beacon's kitchen…**

Beacon, like many other combat schools, spared no expense in their culinary variety, even offering cooking classes on certain days. Dozens of chefs bustled around the massive cooking area, preparing the morning's breakfast. The head chef watched everyone work, a smile on his face as he sipped from a mug of coffee. His smile disappeared when he heard chefs behind him gasp, the sounds of confusion running rampant behind him, and getting closer by the second.

"Are you the head chef of this kitchen? I require a place to prepare meat." The chef didn't recognize the voice, but he could tell it must've been a student.

"Yes, are you preparing something special-" He turned around, but cut himself off when he saw what had caused the clamor in his staff; a heavily armored fellow with a mess of black hair carrying the body of an Ursa Minor on his one hand, the beast impaled by a bone knife to the head. The two stared at each other, one with curiosity and the other with fear. The now faint manager clasped his head in his hand, and promptly blacked out.

Roy blinked, confused by what exactly was the problem with his request. He raised an eyebrow, but then turned to the nearest chef. "You there! May I use a space to prepare this meat for my teammates?" The meek chef jumped at the sudden questioning, but nodded frantically in response. Roy smiled, nodding to the chef, and walked with heavy feet to the closest cooking space; a flat metal table with various knobs for temperatures, surrounded by spices and other ingredients. The eager hunter slammed the Ursa down next to him, and got ready to cut off the chunks of meat…

* * *

 **One hour later…**

Ruby sat at the dining hall table with an eager look, next to Yang and Weiss. Blake sat on the edge next to Yang, with Pyrrha, Jaune, Ren and Nora sitting opposite them. The dark-red haired team leader kicked her feet excitedly under the table while her friends talked with curiosity in their tones. Yang, Blake and Pyrrha discussed what sort of breakfast could be on the way, while Nora and Ren talked about sloths. Weiss was trying her hardest to ignore Jaune's goofy methods to get her attention, instead filing her nails with a bored expression on her face.

All conversation across the dining hall came to a halt when the double doors were kicked open and Roy entered, carrying a massive platter stacked high with slabs of meat over his head. Over his armor and rucksack lay draped a black animal's hide, hanging down over his shoulders and nearly touching his heels as he walked. The proud hunter walked with a confident stride, a prideful glean to his eye as he looked around the room for a moment. His eyes lit with excitement when he located his teammates. He walked over to their table, all their eyes locked on the spectacle before them.

"Ladies, gentlemen…The fruits of my first hunt in Vale." He thrust his arm forward, causing the massive platter to slam down onto the table before them, causing most of them to jump back in surprise excepting Blake and Ren.

Nora looked over the meat with an excited look, though Ren held her back with a hand. Everyone else looked over the meat tentatively, cautious to even touch the food placed before them. Roy pressed the releases on his gauntlets, thrusting them down into the ground beside him before taking one of the well-cooked steaks. Eating it in one bite, his face changed to that of joy at the taste. Once he was done eating his piece, Roy noticed the lack of eating among his comrades.

"Is something wrong?" Roy spoke worriedly, confusion in his voice.

Weiss was the first to speak, poking one of the dark slices with her hands to accentuate her point. "What exactly is this? It looks…weird." Roy rushed over to his teammate, picking up the steak she touched with a hand.

"This is an Ursa Steak!" Roy explained, holding it out in front of her. "I hunted the beast down, and I have cooked it for all of you! It's completely safe to eat, if that's what worries you!" The hunter looked to everyone else, who still seemed skeptical. Roy looked across the table, with a small smile on his face. "It would be a shame if Nora and I were the only ones to eat this meal I have provided." Roy pointed to the orange-haired ball of energy, who had been consuming steaks at a seemingly rapid pace. Nora swallowed the steak she had been eating, and gave two thumbs-up in approval. "Please try it?" Weiss looked at Roy, then back at the steak, and took it in her hands. Roy watched with growing anticipation as she took a small, fearful bite.

Weiss was surprised by the exceptional taste of the meat, a strong flavor marked by a slight bitterness. She gave Roy a satisfied smile, his eyes lighting up in excitement. Weiss continued to eat, spurring the rest of the group to look at the food more openly. Everyone started to eat at this point, much to Roy's exceeding happiness.

"Splendid!" The hunter smiled, and returned to his own seat to eat as everyone around him joined in the boon of the hunt.

"This is so-o good, Roy!" Yang commented, taking another slice of meat in her hand. "I wouldn't have figured you to be savvy in the kitchen."

"You should only hunt what can be skinned and cooked, that's what my father told me," Roy replied, he too taking more from the platter. "He taught me how to make it taste good, too."

"But how'd you skin the Ursa? The bodies of Grimm dissipate after only a minute or two," Ren stated coolly, setting his arms down on the table.

Roy brought his bone knife up to the table, holding it in front of him so that everyone present could see it clearly. "These knives are especially crafted by the Elder Hunters of the Northern Hunters, from the tusks of Boarbatusks or the fangs or King Taijitu, if they're harvested correctly. For reasons I haven't yet learned, we can harvest their bodies with these tools. My knife is a Tusk Knife." He handed it handle-first over to Ren, who studied it meticulously in his hand. The blade was generally straight, though it had a slight curve as one looked down the blade. Ren handed it back, and Roy placed it back on his hip.

Silence fell over the table for a short time, as both teams ate to their heart's content. People from other tables would occasionally take glances at the new student, and at his teammates. The room became electric with conversation around the group, but was duly ignored. Pyrrha smiled after eating her share, looking over to Roy with satisfaction in her eyes.

"This was a good meal, Roy. What do you plan to do today?" The Spartan asked, catching the hunter's attention before he could take another slice of Ursa in his hand. He pulled himself back for long enough to answer.

"I was hoping to go practice with my blade, maybe even spar with anyone willing. Would you care to join me on those ventures?"

Pyrrha shook her head, but shot him a warm smile. "I'm sorry, but my team and I are going to Vale later today. Perhaps tomorrow would be better for me," Roy nodded thoughtfully at her response, now turning to Yang.

"How about you, Yang? Would you care to join me?" The blonde's eyes lit up at the request, as she slammed her fist down onto the table.

"Let's do it! I'd love to watch you work," Yang looked over at her teammate with an endearing smile, though Roy seemed oblivious to the implication. Weiss scoffed, rolling her eyes at Yang's advancements.

"I'll come along as well." Weiss stated coldly in the direction of Yang, but her gaze warmed as she looked from Blake to Ruby. "Blake, Ruby, are you going to join us?"

"Sounds fun!" Ruby chimed in, giving a thumbs-up to Weiss.

"Sure," was Blake's only response, the black-clad girl pushing a lock of hair out of her face.

"It sounds like this will be a good opportunity for you guys to bond," Jaune commented while taking one of the last pieces of meat on the platter.

"Indeed it will be," Roy stated, reaching downwards and picking his gauntlets from the floor. Placing them back on his arms, he stood up, as did Team RWBY. They turned and left, leaving Team JNPR to themselves.

"We might as well get going as well, guys," Jaune gave his team a smile, and they too departed.

* * *

 **One hour later… (Team RWBY + Roy)**

"Don't expect me to go easy on you," Roy called, standing across from the heiress in a sparring arena, rented out for Team RWBY for the next four hours. The entire room was an empty space, save for a small set of raised seats at the back wall. Ruby, Blake, and Yang were seated there, each of them with their gear for when they could spar. Weiss held Myrtenaster firm in her grip, pointed towards her new adversary.

"I wasn't worried about that," The white-haired girl swayed her hip to the side, but kept her stance with her sword aimed at the armor-clad hunter.

Roy instinctively reached for his blade, pulling his katana from his back and into a two-hand grip. He took a low stance, his eyes now focused on Weiss exclusively. All the joviality in his eyes disappeared, now filled with determination. The heiress almost found it shocking how quickly he could change his focus, but she stayed focused. The two waited for Yang to bring up their Aura levels on the large screen on the large wall to their left. As it came online, Roy didn't move though Weiss tensed up slightly in preparation for his first move.

"Roy, are you ready?" Yang called out from the stands, which Roy responded with a nod.

"Weiss, are you ready?" Weiss called out a 'Yes!', and Yang nodded back.

"Go!" Yang yelled out, while Blake and Ruby now moved forward in their seats to watch the fight.

Weiss smirked, creating a glyph behind her before rushing Roy at top speed. The hunter moved his sword, catching Weiss' attack with an overhead block. With a slight adjustment, he swung directly for her torso. Weiss was just able to step backwards to dodge the strike, but Roy moved in immediately to press the offense. The purple-clad warrior's strikes were quick, keeping his opponent on the defensive. Weiss' face faltered, revealing the anxiety in her regarding Roy's ferocity.

 _He's intense…that look in his eye!_ Weiss created a glyph behind her, and she used it to vault just over Roy's head. Not expecting the sudden shift, he was left wide open to a quick slash to the back. The black-haired hunter rolled with the attack, coming back up facing his opponent. Weiss noticed that when he was hit, his Aura flared then disappeared. Raising his sword again, Roy moved right back into an offensive.

Weiss anticipated his maneuver, and parried expertly with the oncoming attack. She deflected the oncoming strikes, but found herself being forced backwards slowly by the onslaught of steel. Gritting her teeth, the heiress fired off the crystal in her blade. The ensuing explosion threw fire at her opponent. Stepping back, she watched the growing flames with a careful eye.

Suddenly, through the flames, Roy sped towards her, knocking her clear off her feet with a swift kick to the chest. The extreme force of the attack winded her, but her Aura helped her recover before she hit the ground. A glyph appeared under her, pushing her upwards and giving her time to realign herself on the battlefield.

 _I can't come from the front…_ Weiss watched Roy carefully as he leapt through the air towards her, blade held high. Creating a glyph in front of her, Roy found himself slamming into a solid wall of energy. He rebounded, and Weiss took advantage of the opening with a fast slash to his back, and a blast of air Dust. Roy rolled on his back, popping back up to his feet. He moved in once again, sword ready once again.

In the spectator's seats, the three girls watched with growing interest. Roy was constantly pressing the attack, with very little change in flow or strategy. Blake's trained eyes seemed to follow his blade in each move, precise but rapid slashes moving almost too fast to be tracked at such a distance. Yang seemed more excited than anything, knowing she'd be getting in the ring with him soon enough. Ruby, however, was perplexed by a single thought:

 _Why isn't he using his Semblance? He could probably win this so quickly if he goes all out…_

Roy stopped Weiss' sword with his gauntlet, and activated the short blades on his arm's side. Pulling downward while swinging his own katana towards the heiress, he effectively disarmed her. Throwing the sword to his left, Roy waited patiently for Weiss to make her move. The alabaster-clad heiress too waited for movement, but saw that she would have to make the first move. But as she formed a glyph, Roy instead pulled his sword-arm back, resting his sword on his other arm to form a stand for the rifle. Taking quick aim, the hunter fired a shot at his adversary. A bright red bullet pierced the glyph, exploding with fiery force which knocked Weiss off her feet but closer to her weapon.

Weiss caught herself in mid-fall, using one arm to vault over to her sword. Recovering her weapon, she spun her rapier's barrels until they landed on a yellow crystal. Weiss met the eyes of her opponent, who slowly cocked the lever action on his gun-blade before bringing it across his body into a low, ready stance. Purple eyes met blue eyes, as they both steeled themselves before the next attack.

In the stands, the three spectators watched with bated breath, anxious to see both of their teammate's next moves. While Yang and Ruby were far more amazed than Blake, the dark-haired warrior could see very easily that the next move could decide the battle. It was in an instant that the move occurred, in a flash of speed and steel which was nearly unseen by those watching.

Roy's eyes had shifted to green in an instant, as he leapt forwards with his sword ready.

Weiss speeded towards him, her sword's point true and straight.

In a sudden clash of blades, Roy watched as his sword was knocked completely from his hands. In the next three seconds, multiple glyphs formed around him. Looking around in surprise, he had no time to react as Weiss moved in on her own offensive. As she passed by him at rapid speed, he took dozens of small slashes across his relatively unarmored sections. Weiss bounced from glyph to glyph, blasting by her adversary at blinding speed from all directions.

 _Damn…I let my guard down!_ Roy tried to block the incoming strikes with his gauntlets, but to no avail. Another strike came down on his shoulder, knocking him off balance. In an instant, Weiss appeared before him, moving at him at full speed with Myrtenaster pointed directly at his chest. The blade let loose its Dust charge, launching Roy clear off the ground in a wicked blast of electrical energy. He let out a grunt, and hit the ground hard.

Yang nearly broke the railing she was holding onto at the sight of Roy getting sent flying across the arena. _Oh no! Is he…_ Her worries were slightly alleviated by the sight of Roy quickly recovering from his attack. The blonde leaned in when she saw him stagger slightly, but fell back in her seat when he stood tall again. Blake took notice of her partner's reactions, raising her eyebrow in intrigue. Ruby only had eyes on the fight, now realizing what was going to happen.

 _He saves his strongest attacks for the last…but why?_

Roy shook off his fatigue, but he felt his body trying to recover itself quickly. He focused, eyes now shifting into the emerald shade of green. Quickly, his Aura began to drain as he took up a stance ready to pounce. Weiss raised her sword, ready to defend herself as soon as Roy moved. Their spectators now watched silently, not wanting to intrude on the focus of the two warriors.

Roy's eyes flickered, falling back to purple in a sudden flash. He fell to a knee, collapsing swiftly as his body gave in. Weiss lowered her guard, her eyes filled with uncertainty. Yang looked to the screen, and saw that indeed, Roy's Aura levels had fallen into the red, indicating he didn't have enough to carry on a battle. Ruby had already hopped over the railing, running to her teammate's side. Weiss sheathed her weapon, moving quickly to Roy as well.

Ruby took Roy by the arm, slowly helping him back up to his feet. The leader of Team RWBY regarded her friend with only sincerely concerned eyes, holding onto his arm firmly. Roy looked over at her, regaining his footing with her aid.

"Are you alright? You were doing fine until you just…collapsed," Ruby questioned him with a quiet tone and a concerned expression, silver eyes filled with tender care.

"I'm fine, Ruby…I think I need to learn more about Aura though. My Semblance seems to drain me too quickly, even when I'm just getting it ready." Roy steadied himself by holding onto the shorter girl's shoulder, though Ruby didn't dare let him go.

"I didn't wound you too bad with that attack, did I?" Weiss asked nervously, guilt in her voice. _I really hope I didn't just scare him off…_

Roy's eyes then flicked back to the heiress, a new excitement coming through his face. "I'm fine, Weiss. But I have to commend your strategy, your strike was expertly placed. I was foolish enough to give someone as skilled as you an opening." His compliments almost served to make the heiress blush, but she forced it back to remain humble.

"Thank you, Roy, that's most kind of you. Considering I just blasted you across the arena." Weiss gave him a smile, which he amiably returned. Yang came over to the group, carrying Roy's sword.

"Hey, I got your sword. This thing is awesome, by the way." Yang commented, as she held the weapon loosely by her side. Roy nodded in agreement, taking his weapon back from the blonde. The hunter then folded it into its box form, slapping it onto his hip. With a sigh, he looked to Blake.

"Blake, you seemed the most observant during the match. Tell me, what could I improve on?"

Blake was caught off guard, unaware that he had even noticed she was studying his movements. However, it was true; she had answers to his query. "Well, you allowed your opponent too many opportunities to recover. You stayed on the offensive too much, not allowing yourself to dodge any attacks. Third, you need to improve Aura control and Semblance usage." Roy listened intently to her analysis, keeping their eyes locked as she continued.

"However, your weapon and hand-to-hand skills are clearly far more impressive. I would focus on using those in a real combat situation." Roy gave her a smile, and nodded thoughtfully.

"Thank you, Blake. I will work on those areas," the hunter gave her a smile, which caused her to feel a small warmth in her chest.

 _What's wrong with me?_ She shook her head slightly, unnoticed by the black-haired warrior before her as he turned to walk towards the spectator's area. "I'll be resting over here. I should have my energy back by the time Blake and Ruby are done fighting." Roy shouted back, catching both the Team Leader and Blake by surprise.

"What?" Both of them asked in surprise, both shocked he would simply decide who would go next.

"Well, you aren't related, and Blake is Yang's partner. I see room for the two of you to bond over combat. And while you do, I'll be speaking to Weiss and Yang. Is there fault in my statement?" Roy looked back to them, seeing no response spurred him to keep walking with a small smile on his face.

 _I can certainly be an intelligent bastard, can't I?_ Roy chuckled to himself, as he took a seat. Looking over his cuirass, he could see that there was no lasting damage. Weiss and Yang sat at his sides, and the hunter leaned back in his seat to watch the battle.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, with Team JNPR…**

"Aw Ren, but I wanted pancakes!" Nora whined as she skipped alongside her partner down the streets of Vale. Beside the two polar opposites walked Pyrrha and Jaune, who were amused by the two's antics. Pyrrha laughed to herself, looking over to Jaune with a friendly smile and warm eyes.

"This has certainly been a nice time, hasn't it Jaune?" Pyrrha asked calmly, holding her hands behind her back as they walked together.

"Yeah! It's been nice getting to know everyone." Jaune scratched the back of his head, returning her smile.

"How about we go get some ice cream? My treat," Pyrrha asked all of her teammates, catching Nora's attention with the promise of sweets.

"Ooh! We could get a sundae! Ren, I want a sundae!" The pink-clad girl bounded around her partner, a big smile on her face as she skipped around giddily.

"Of course, Nora." Ren crossed his arms, a small smile on his face.

Jaune seemed lost in thought as they made their way towards the ice cream store, which did not go unnoticed by his own partner.

"Jaune? Is there something wrong?" The red-head pried, gently pushing him with a hand.

"N-no. Just thinking. I hope we get to talk to Roy some more. Seems like a cool guy." Pyrrha nodded in agreement, though Jaune the smile he had when he spoke to her as he fell back into thought.

 _He's already an awesome warrior…why'd he come here, anyways?_

* * *

 **Somewhere else…**

In a room filled with darkness, an array of screens illuminated the floor with pale colors. A tall, thin man watched each one with a blank expression, until he came across something which caused his eyebrows to rise, then furrow in serious intent. Pulling a Scroll out, the man pressed the screen with leather-gloved hands. A call was made, and the other side picked up.

"Father? I need a message put out, as soon as possible. Call all available HearthFires, and all the Northern Hunters you can. Tell them he's left for Beacon."

The voice on the other end spoke back, a grave tone across the line. "This may draw the Rat out. We can only hope we get there first."

"Yes, that's what I think he's trying to do. I'll be heading there to test him personally in a month. We'll see if he's ready."

The call ended, and the man in front of the screen narrowed his eyes at the paused screen; Roy's determined face, with his blade raised in a guard.

"We'll see. Soon."

He turned to the waiting secretary, pointing to him with serious intent.

"Have my suit combat ready, Watson, I'm going to Beacon."

 **Well, I hope that this was a suitable chapter.**

 **And now for something I'd like to ask about, of all readers. I've been having difficulties deciding how to do the shipping in this story, since I really don't want to resort to a harem unless that's what you all want.**

 **Therefore, I'm opening up a poll. If you want a particular ship/ships for Roy, leave them below. I'd say limit it to Team RWBY and JNPR, but if there's another character you'd prefer, let me know. Leave your preferences in the reviews on this chapter, please.**

 **Maybe even, if you have the time, try to give the ship a name. I really don't know.**

 **Anyways, if you have an idea, let me know! Otherwise, have a nice day!**


	6. Chapter 6: A Short Trip to Vale

**Sorry this has taken so long, it's been a busy time for me. Hopefully, I'll get to a more regular schedule. Hope everyone enjoys!**

Chapter 6

"Yang, how well do you know Vale?" Roy looked to his right, meeting the eyes of his teammate as she turned to him. In front of them, Blake and Ruby were in a heated sparring match.

"I'd say I know the city pretty well, why?" The blonde rested her chin on her fist, taking a friendly smile to her face. In the arena, Ruby flipped over her opponent, only to find that she had struck down a clone.

"I need to go there and find a particular store. I have skins to sell, and ammo to buy. I was wondering if you could help me find my way," Roy made his request with an uncertain but friendly tone. Down below, Blake moved in for a strike but was blocked by Crescent Rose.

"Sure, why not? Better ask the Ice Queen if she needs to go to Vale, too. Might seem like you're giving her the cold shoulder if you don't," Yang gestured to Weiss, who was watching the sparring match and ignoring the two's conversation.

"Certainly." The hunter moved in his seat, looking over to his white-clad teammate. "Weiss?" The heiress turned to his voice, a smile coming to her face.

"Yes, Roy?" She batted her eyelashes, giving him a warmer smile.

"Yang and I are going to Vale after this, I have some things to buy and sell. Would you like to accompany us?" The hunter scratched the back of his head, and Weiss' smile fell flat.

 _I was really hoping that we'd be going alone…_ "Um, I think I'll be alright. Thank you for asking, Roy." Weiss moved back in her seat, her face falling neutral to Roy's confusion.

 _Was it something I said…_ Roy was taken aback by her sudden shift in mood, turning back around to Yang, who gave a shrug in response to Weiss' behavior.

"Match Over!"

Roy turned to see that Blake had won, though it was exceptionally close. Ruby's Aura had only just fell into the red, Blake's was only a few slivers over the team leader's level. Roy hopped up and over the railing in a single move, coming onto the arena field swiftly. Yang and Weiss had no time to react at his sudden leap, as he was already at Ruby's side in a matter of seconds.

 _He's already recovered?_ Weiss blinked, moving out of her seat along with Yang to talk to their teammates.

"That was a close match, Ruby. Well done, indeed," Roy held his hand down to her, lifting her from the ground.

"Thanks! Blake's super sneaky, and really fast to attack whenever I was open," Ruby recalled with a smile of eager innocence.

"You certainly aren't a slouch with your own offense, Ruby," Blake chimed in, with a small smile on her face.

Roy looked to his Scroll, bringing the time up as he couldn't see the sun. The time read to be nearing three in the afternoon. "Yang, I'd like to get to Vale before the sun sets."

"You're heading to Vale? What for?" Ruby raised an eyebrow, curious silver eyes bouncing between the two teammates.

"Roy said he has some things he needs to buy," Yang piped in, answering her sister's question before the hunter had a chance to reply. "I'm coming along to make sure he doesn't get lost." The blonde gave him a wink, much to his chagrin.

"I wouldn't get lost! But I'd prefer having someone who knows the city come with me." Roy puffed his chest out, pride exuding from his eyes. This response spurred laughter among Team RWBY, even Blake joined in with a small chuckle.

"Ooh! In that case, could you buy me some chocolate chip cookies from that one bakery on Fifth Street?" Ruby's eyes lit up at the thought of cookies, her hands coming to her face.

Roy pressed a release on the thigh of his armor, revealing a small notebook and a pencil. "Chocolate chip cookies, bakery on Fifth…" Roy repeated Ruby's statement, writing everything down quickly. "Do you need anything, Weiss?"

"I need some more pencils for class." The heiress replied shortly, crossing her arms with a small frown. Roy wrote down the item, and then turned to his black-clad teammate.

"Blake? Do you need anything?" The huntress in training responded by taking his notebook, and quickly jotting down some items. When Roy received his notebook back, the hunter was confused.

"Ah, I see. Not a bad book series…Not trying to give me any ideas, are you?" Roy raised an eyebrow, with a neutral look to his eye but a smile to his face. Blake's face turned as red as a beet, and she looked down and away with her hands behind her.

"I-I…um…"

"I'm joking, Blake. Don't worry, I'll get them. And your…tuna." Roy looked to his notebook, seeing that she wanted a can of tuna as well. The monochrome girl stood frozen, almost dumbfounded by his teasing. Ruby and Weiss watched with growing smiles, though Yang was on the floor laughing at the face she had made.

"Yang? Come, we have to go," The hunter pulled his new travelling mate from the floor, lifting her in a single pull as the pair departed.

Blake, Ruby, and Weiss stood together for a moment before Ruby turned to Blake with an innocent look.

"Hey, Blake, what'd he mean when he asked if you were trying to give him ideas?"

 **Later…**

Yang and Roy stepped off the Bull Head, departing from the small school transport. Roy had also brought along his rucksack, now filled to the brim with the various Grimm hides he had taken in the morning's hunt. The black-haired hunter pulled his Scroll out, trying to make heads or tails of the screen. Yang watched with an amused grin as her roommate tried in vain to get whatever results he desired. Looking over his shoulder, the blonde tried to determine exactly what he was trying to do.

"Having trouble there, tiger?" Yang raised an eyebrow, asking her question while standing slightly closer.

He gave a grunt in response, than leaned it over to her. "I was hoping to find a map…" Yang pressed three inputs, swiped across, and pressed once again, and a small map of Vale appeared. The hunter stared blankly at the screen before his face grew red with embarrassment. Yang giggled with amiable glee at her friend's discomfort. Roy sighed, a defeated smile on his face.

"It's alright, Roy. Not everyone's as savvy with their Scrolls as I am." The blonde brawler brought her hands behind her head, lacing her fingers together and holding her arms up in a relaxed pose. Her teammate responded with a laugh and a smile.

"Of course, Yang." Roy replied, now inspecting the map on his Scroll.

"It says that the store I require…is…" Roy slowly dragged his finger along the map, finding a small store marked by an anvil. "…Found it. It's on Auburn Avenue, due south of us." Roy looked to Yang for assistance, as she looked at the map herself.

"Yeah, I've been around there. It's a nice part of town. Let's go." Yang started to walk, and Roy followed at the same pace. The pair began their walk, unaware of someone watching from a distance…

 **A short walk later…**

"You sure this is the place?" Yang nudged Roy with an elbow, a small amount of uncertainty in her voice.

"Definitely. It's my family symbol, and it says 'Octavian General Wares'. This is it." Roy walked to the door, pulling it open and holding it open for his friend. Yang gave him a 'Thank you' as she passed by, making sure to sway her hips more as she walked in. To no avail, the gesture went unnoticed as the two walked into the store.

The store itself was actually quite large on the inside, with a massive variety of Huntsman gear, weapons, and supplies. Aisles of different items lined the store with a desk in the back, which was itself covered in other things. Yang gave a whistle as she walked in, placing her hands on her hips. Roy took a sniff of the air, detecting something familiar. He walked past his blonde companion, directly towards the back desk, the armored fellow following his nose.

"I only know one man who smells of metal and incense…" Roy muttered as he stalked towards the back of the store, his rucksack bouncing with each heavy step.

"Uncle Alden?"

The man at the back of the store looked up from the book he was perusing, a pair of soft green eyes studying the hunter approaching him from behind circular bifocals. This man wore a tan vest over a pale shirt, along with a dirty pair of black pants which were covered in metal flakes. The shop-keep's eyes narrowed for only a moment before his eyebrows shot up in excitement. The stout man pushed his silver hair back, the long strands forced back behind his ears and down the back of his neck.

"Elroy? My goodness, how you've grown!" Alden walked around the counter, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose before taking his nephew's hand and vigorously shook it.

"It's good to see you, Uncle," Roy replied with a warm smile and an equally strong handshake, meeting his uncle's eyes.

"Let me tell you, my boy, when I heard that you'd disappeared from that barren wasteland you call home, I knew you'd be coming here, let me tell you…" Alden held his nephew's hand for a few moments more before stepping back, his eyes alight with concern.

"You knew I had left?" Roy's face changed, now an expression of confusion. Alden didn't reflect anything more on the fact, but waved the armor-clad hunter to the desk.

"Octavius didn't need to send me a message on this infernal device for me to know, boy," Alden pulled out his Scroll, waving it a few times as he came around to the other side of the counter. Roy ran a hand through his hair, his mind running at rapid speeds. "He knows what you're trying to do, you know," Alden now sounded concerned, setting his hands down on the desk.

"Then he knows I'm going to get stronger. I have all of Mother's books-"The hunter started to explain.

"You have them? That's great! Listen, you have to read them, they'll teach you everything you need to-"Alden cut himself off, as he saw Roy's companion come around the corner of an aisle, now walking with a smile towards them.

"There you are! You just kind of took off on me there," Yang walked right up to the counter, resting a hand on it as she leaned up next to Roy. "Hey." The blonde casually greeted the shopkeeper, who had raised an eyebrow at the blonde, before shooting an expectant grin at his nephew.

"I see you've finally learned how to talk to girls, Elroy. Is this your girlfriend?" Alden wiggled his eyebrows, while Yang now took over the conversation, much to Roy's embarrassment.

"Oh yeah, he's a real charmer. You should see how he is with the rest of the team," Yang spoke in a teasing voice, nudging the now beet-red hunter with her elbow.

"Oh-ho! So he's got his grandfather's skill with the women, hm?" Alden now leaned in, eyeing his nephew with a playful glean to his aged green eyes.

Roy had no reply as he tried to hide his face in his gloved hand, letting out a loud groan of embarrassment. Alden and Yang started to laugh, taking a minute to let it all out. Once they had recovered, Yang took a friendly smile, extending her hand to the middle-aged merchant.

"He's not actually my boyfriend, but he is on my team. Name's Yang, Yang Xiao Long." The blonde's hand was taken, met with equal grip and friendliness.

"Alden HearthFire, I'm Elroy's uncle. A pleasure to meet you, Yang." Alden looked to his nephew, gesturing to him with a more business-like manner. "So, I'd wager that you have skins to sell?"

"Yes, here you go." Roy swung his rucksack on the table, slamming it down with the zipper facing the merchant. Alden opened it, taking careful looks at each skin he pulled out. With each skin, he measured its length and width, and set it down folded next to the rucksack.

"Okay, Five Beowolf skins, one Ursa Minor skin, and a bundle of wild thyme…" Alden counted up a total on a small calculator which was attached to his wrist. The merchant looked at the total, reaching down to the register under the counter with a careful hand. Roy and Yang both watched with curiosity as the silver-haired man worked quickly.

"Alright, that'll come to about 10,250 lien, if you sell all of this." Alden stated the total, which completely shocked Yang. The blonde nearly fell forward, as her jaw dropped.

"Ten-thousand lien?!" Yang re-stated, looking to her teammate with wide eyes.

"I am okay with that price. Besides, it's not like I have much room to complain. I don't have any money on me." Roy stated, causing both Yang and Alden to sweat-drop with blank faces.

"How did you get all the way to Beacon, then?" Alden raised his eyebrows, clearly interested in the story behind the lack of money.

"I walked?" Roy answered, unsure as to how else he would have gotten there.

"From Northern Atlas." Alden stated, now trying to piece the story together.

"Yes," was all Roy had to say on the topic.

There was a silence before Alden simply blinked and went back to ringing up the sale. The register kicked open, and Alden pulled out cards of lien of the higher denominations first before grabbing smaller count cards. The merchant set the cards down on the counter, which Roy took and placed into a pouch on his hip.

"Well, that should do it. Do you need to buy anything while you're here?" Alden asked, as he lifted the skins onto a cart.

"I need a crate of ammo for my weapon, and a jar of Dust. You remember what kind my armor was built with, right?"

"You use the 360 cartridge for your rifle, and the polarized mixture for your armor. Just a moment." Alden walked to a door behind the counter, stepping in with the cart. He didn't return for a moment, until he came back with a toolbox sized crate with a wolf's head emblazoned on the front of it and a jar of purple colored Dust. Yang looked at the crate with intrigue, while Roy opened it up. Inside was a rainbow of ammo of all different shapes, and all colors.

"Nice. How much for this, Uncle?" Roy opened his now full pouch, stopping when his uncle raised his hand.

"You only just showed up in Vale. First time's on the house, Elroy. I'll ask for money next time, alright?" Alden gave his nephew a smile, which was eagerly returned.

"Hey, I have a question." Yang interjected, bringing attention to her from both sides. "Why do you call him Elroy?"

Alden looked to Roy with a look that seemed to ask, 'Can I tell her?' which Roy nodded to. The merchant turned to the blonde, pointing to the armor-clad hunter. "You see, Northern Hunters have a tradition with naming, that they're called by their middle name, similarly to how HearthFires do. Elroy has the formal name of the Hunters, but the first and middle name of a HearthFire." Before he continued, he looked to his nephew for clearance to elaborate. "He goes by Roy, which is the name he gives to friends and acquaintances, and his family calls him Elroy. Only his parents know his first, or 'pure', name, and he'll only tell it to those who are, ah, intimate with him."

As the merchant finished his speech, Yang looked to her partner with an understanding look. "Alright, that's good to know. Thanks, Alden." The merchant nodded, and waved the pair off as they turned to leave.

"Have a nice night, you two!" Alden chuckled to himself, as he turned to go into the back of the store. He went to work putting the skins up onto a shelf, for future work to be turned into some other form of merchandise when he received a call. Seeing the name on his Scroll, he let out a sigh before answering.

"Hello, Octavius…"

 **A short time later…**

"I'm just saying, you look good in that," Yang stated, looking her partner up and down. After the two had finished up their other errands, which included getting Ruby's cookies and Weiss' pencils, and Roy making a short run into a book store, Yang was able to drag the hunter into a clothing store. She reasoned that he needed more to wear than what he had, and he was currently bereft of his armor, standing in a black suit jacket, white button up shirt, and black pants. Yang had tied a purple tie around his neck, much to his annoyance.

"I've never really worn something like this…it's not bad." Roy shrugged, though he pulled at his tie. "Don't like this neck-trap, though." Yang walked over to him, adjusting it with a single hand.

"Well, I think it makes you look great." The blonde gave him a smile, which he returned.

"I'll get changed, we should get going back to Beacon," Roy looked to his Scroll, seeing that it had been a few hours since they had left Beacon.

After he got out of the suit, he got back into his suit of armor, they started to walk back to the Beacon landing pad. Roy's rucksack was filled to the brim, though he carried a few smaller bags at his sides. When the pair made it to the landing pad, they saw that Team JNPR was also waiting at the landing pad. Yang waved to their friends, running up ahead to greet them.

"Hello!" Yang called out in a sing-song type of way, catching Nora and Jaune's attention, which brought Pyrrha and Ren's as well.

"Hey, Yang!" Jaune shot her a smile, and then he waved to Roy. "Hey, Roy. What's all that you're carrying there?"

"Just running errands, Jaune. Clothes, toiletries, some things for the rest of my roommates." Roy replied in a friendly tone, setting his other bags down next to him as he stood next to the bench Ren was seated at.

"Toilet trees? Since when do toilets grow on trees?!" Nora interjected, using Ren's head as a stand for her to hold herself up on with her hands to speak directly to Roy's face.

"Nora, he means things like toothbrushes, and things you use in the bathroom," her stoic partner interjected, lifting Nora slowly back down onto the bench. The hammer-wielder made a small 'Oh' face and nodded in understanding.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd buy so much clothing, Roy," Pyrrha commented, though now it was Yang's turn to reply, taking a step forward.

"He needed some help with fashion, he wanted to just buy all the same things," Yang jerked a thumb at her teammate, to which he puffed his chest out in response.

"I happen to like consistency when it comes to my attire, that's all. However, I am…happy that you came along, Yang." Roy was then tackled into a side hug, the blonde actually lifting him off the ground for a moment.

"Not a problem, Roy," She gave him a wink, which he simply smiled back to.

As the airship came down to land, all in company boarded for the short flight back to Beacon. Pyrrha and Roy spoke about the next day's plans for Aura training, while Yang comforted Jaune through the throws of airship sickness, at a safe distance. Ren watched as Nora played around with a small Ursa plush, still confused as to where she had found it…

 **A short time later…**

"We're back!" Yang burst into the dorm, her hands outstretched as she walked right in. Roy walked in after her, tossing his own things to his hammock before bringing his rucksack to his front.

"Ruby." Roy tossed a cloth bag to the team leader, who caught it gently but eagerly. Quickly ripping away the wrap the young girl found her cookies, which were swiftly devoured. Roy then turned to Weiss, who was laying on her bed with her textbook on her lap. The hunter cautiously pulled out the various pencils he had obtained for her, holding them towards her in a bunch. The heiress looked at him, then to the pencils.

"Thank you, Roy." She gave him a smile which disappeared as soon as her attention went back to her work.

"Blake." Roy zipped over to the black-haired girl, a plastic bag covering what he held out to her. She looked to Yang, who was in the bathroom looking over her golden hair. Blake swiped the books, realizing there were more than the three she requested. She looked to him with a raised eyebrow, but then was caught off guard when she saw the title.

"I know it wasn't on your list, but it was a limited time offer. I figured you might-"He was cut off when Blake quickly wrapped her arms around his neck in a quick, embarrassed embrace before leaping away and pulling the first of her books out to read. Roy stood there for a moment with slightly red cheeks before standing back upright and walking to his own things.

Weiss saw the interaction, and now glared at her teammate with an irritated glean to her icy eyes. Yang, however, also saw the two's short talk through the mirror, and simply laughed it off. _Ice Queen's just jealous…_ Yang finished brushing her hair out, and came over to sit on Blake's bed. Blake jumped slightly at the sudden shift in her mattress, but returned to her stoic expression as Yang settled in.

"So. What was that all about?" The blonde gave her teammate a smile, which was met by Blake trying to start reading again.

"I…was just really happy that he got me the books I asked for, and an extra one." Blake looked to her small pile of new books, and a small smile came to her face.

"Uh-huh. Sure it wasn't just who gave them to you?" Yang raised her eyebrows at her, a teasing smile on her face. She gestured to the hunter behind her, who was folding and stacking all of his new clothes in a spot behind his hammock. Blake sighed, knowing that she wouldn't get any reading done until Yang got an answer. In the few days they had all been together already, she was able to glean that Yang was very persistent when she wanted to be.

"He's a nice guy." Blake lowered her eyes back to her book, and Yang relented for the time being, instead turning to see Roy had finished putting away all the new things he had bought. She caught him shooting a saddened look to the picture frame next to his belongings, to which he responded by setting it face down. Yang hopped off her partner's bed and next to her teammate, coming down into a cross-legged sit beside him.

"Everything good here, tiger?" Yang gave him a smile which pulled him back to reality.

"Yes, everything is…in order, here. Thank you." Roy fell back onto his rear, sitting down softly on the floor. There was a silence before Yang spoke up again, getting the whole room's attention.

"Isn't it about time we get dinner, guys?" The blonde stood up, putting her hands on her hips.

"It is about five o' clock. We should get our food early." Weiss got out of her bed, coming over to her teammate.

Ruby and Blake got up as well, stretching out from their time lazing around. Blake walked past Roy, who stayed on the floor a moment before standing up. The hunter got to the front of the group, pulling the door open and holding it so until everyone had passed him. Each girl gave him a 'Thanks' or 'Thank you', a small smile given to the courteous man.

As they exited, they were met with Team JNPR coming out of their room as well. Jaune led his group, entering the hallway and down the same direction that Team RWBY and Roy went. Both teams greeted each other with 'Hello's, and both teams walked together through the numerous hallways towards the mess hall. Though most everyone was bereft of their armors and weapons, Roy was notably out of place in this regard, still wearing his full suit with his sword in box form on his hip. The black-haired warrior was looking out the windows they passed, hardly paying much mind to the conversation around him.

Until Yang let slip the amount of Lien he had acquired earlier…

"He made how much?!" Nora's jaw was agape, though she'd somehow hopped onto Roy's shoulder without him noticing. The orange-haired girl was seated on his shoulder, looking down at him with wide eyes. The hunter looked upwards, a raised eyebrow at her antics. Ren gave a look himself, giving a tired sigh as his childhood friend hopped around, and on, the estranged ninth member of their teams, ranting on and on about the things Roy could do with the money.

"Nora." Roy spoke, catching the hammer-wielder's attention before it could wander any further.

"Yes, Roy?" She bounced on her heels, still moving forward with the group as she looked up at her armored teammate.

"I'll worry about the Lien later, okay?" Roy gave her a smile, to which she returned with a happy nod.

"Okay!" She hopped forward and around, stepping back up to Ren's pace.

"Still," Weiss spoke, looking back to her teammate, "That's an impressive amount of Lien to make in a single day."

"That's because of the low supply and excessive demand for the materials that can be gathered from Grimm, Weiss." Roy replied, walking faster to walk beside the heiress. "Only Northern Hunters know how to harvest a Grimm's body, so it's expensive to get those materials from my family." Weiss nodded, as Jaune stepped right alongside her.

"So, um, what exactly do you take from a Grimm's body? Besides the meat and fur, I mean." The blond team leader chuckled meekly, internally hoping that he didn't interrupt.

While Weiss gave him a glare, it fell away as Roy responded amiably. "Well, that depends on who's hunting and what they hunt. My great-grandfather had a suit of heavy armor crafted from the scales of a King Taijitu, since he knew how to harvest those correctly. I only know how to harvest hides from fur-covered Grimm, and their claws. Generally, I hunt Beowolves and Ursa, while the more skilled Hunters track down the more dangerous game." Jaune nodded in understanding, as did Weiss.

The rest of the walk was generally uneventful, as the group sat down for dinner. Roy and Nora had both grabbed multiple trays, eating like rabid beasts beside each other as their teammates watched on in awe. Ren sat beside Nora, a look of weary amusement in his eye as his friend now had another to act out with. Weiss, however, was disgusted by her paramour's eating habits. The two seemed to be racing for who finished first.

"I take it that the chefs this year are up to standard, you two?" A familiar voice came from behind, causing both hunter and hammer-wielder to freeze mid-bite. Roy and Nora turned around, with food in their mouths, to see Headmaster Ozpin standing behind them. Nora, reacting first, in a single move, swallowed her food and leapt into Roy's arms in surprise at the sudden sight of the Headmaster.

"I didn't even hear himohmygosh-"Roy cut her off with a muffin to the face, stuffing her mouth before she could go any further.

"Yes, Headmaster. The food is amazing." Roy gave him a sheepish smile, though Ozpin had himself a jovial expression.

"That's good to hear. I wanted to ask you something, Roy." The Headmaster took a sip of his coffee, as Roy set his teammate down on the bench beside him. Roy's teammates also listened in, their interest obviously piqued by the presence of the Headmaster. "I'd like you to let me know before you go on one of your hunting trips. It'd be unfortunate if you were to be wounded and for the school to not be aware of your whereabouts."

"Of course, Headmaster. I'll only be going every other week on Sundays. I'll notify you the day before." Roy bowed his head slightly, and Ozpin smiled to his teammates.

"Well, that is all I needed. Good evening, everyone." And with that, the Headmaster turned and left, walking out at a relaxed pace.

"Well…that was a thing." Yang spoke up, bringing everyone's attention away from the Headmaster.

"Indeed. Now where was I-"Roy turned to eat his food, seeing that his tray was picked clean of all its contents. He looked over at Nora with a pout, who had one of his muffins in her hand. She gave him a wide, devious smile. She devoured his dessert, and his jaw fell agape. Ren, however, interjected before either could move by tossing an extra dessert over to the hunter. Nora gasped, while the hunter enjoyed his new treat.

"You said that was mine, Ren!" She let out a huff, turning away with her arms crossed.

Blake blinked as a thought came to her. "Hey Roy, are you ready for classes tomorrow?"

Roy nodded, finishing his meal with a single bite. "Yes, I believe I am. Is there anything I should be aware of?"

"Do you have your uniform ready?" Roy blanked at her statement, as he saw another male student pass by in their uniform. He pointed to it, and she nodded. He let out a groan, and let his head hit the table with a thud.

 _This is going to be interesting…I'll have to wake him up early to get him ready for class…_ Blake sighed, but was internally pleased at the prospect.

 **So, hopefully this was a good chapter. We're setting up for the rest of the story, so if anyone else feels like voting on the shipping, please say so before too long! So far, there's one vote to Weiss, Yang, and Ruby. We'll see what happens as we go forward! Don't forget to leave anything you'd like to see in this story in the reviews!**

 **Have a nice day!**


	7. 7: First Day of Classes, New Challenger?

Chapter 7

Monday, the bane to all student's existence. This particular Monday morning was peculiar; normally Blake would prefer to sleep later until she had to get ready. However, she woke up nearly an hour early in order to get Roy ready for his first day of classes. The black-haired girl arose from her bed, walking over to Roy's hammock in her sleepwear. Blake waited for a minute, watching Yang's electronic clock for the time to change to six o' clock. Once it happened, Blake turned to her sleeping teammate and gently swayed the hammock in a soft attempt to wake Roy up.

"Roy…"

No response.

"Roy." Blake shook the hammock more vigorously, and she elicited a small groan of weariness from the hunter.

"Come on. We have class today." Blake let his hammock go, and let it slowly swing back and forth.

Roy didn't move, uncooperative in the initiative to wake up. Blake gave a small pout, and then pressed her hand on his face.

"Wake up." After a shove to the face, Roy turned away from her. He let out a small grunt, curling up slightly. Blake narrowed her eyes at her teammate, before she reached for his neck. Taking a small bit of his skin between her nails, she pinched down hard on his neck.

Roy leapt straight up out of his hammock with a high-pitched yelp, jumping over Blake and landing behind her. He looked back at the surprised girl, a look of annoyance on his face as he pouted at her.

"Couldn't you have tried something a bit gentler? That actually hurt…"Roy rubbed the side of his neck, a red mark formed where he was pinched. Blake gave him a deadpan stare, standing up all the way and crossing her arms.

"I tried that, but you just didn't want to wake up." Blake then picked up his uniform which was neatly tucked behind his other belongings. She held up the clothing bag, and Roy slumped his shoulders. With a heavy sigh, he took the clothing and walked towards the bathroom.

"And Roy…"Roy stopped at the doorway, looking back at his teammate.

"Don't worry about the tie. Just get the rest on, and I'll tie it for you." In the dark of the morning, Roy couldn't see the small blush in Blake's face. Roy nodded, and closed the door to the bathroom, leaving Blake alone with the rest of Team RWBY who still laid asleep. Blake looked down, shaking her head slightly to the sides.

 _He's just a nice guy._

Roy came out of the bathroom, finding that Blake had also changed into her own uniform. He studied her for a moment, and gave a small smile. Blake held her hands in front of her, waiting for him patiently.

"You look…nice, Blake." The girl gave him a small smile, nodding to him slowly.

"You do too, Roy. Here, let me tie your tie."

Blake took his tie, and pulled him over with a hand on his shoulder. "Just stand still, and I'll get this on." Roy stood patiently, though Blake had to stand slightly on her toes to make up for the difference in height. She stuck his collar up, and lined the tie up with his belt. She went to work looping it around, and she made quick work of it. Roy looked at her work, as she pulled his collar back down into place. Roy looked at her, and the two made eye contact for a moment.

"Thank you, Blake." Roy smiled, taking the jacket which hung from his fingers and pulling it over his broad shoulders. Blake nodded in response, a neutral expression on her face.

At this time, the other three began to wake up, bringing both Roy and Blake's attention to them. They looked to each other one last time before going to separate parts of the room; Roy to his hammock, where he sat down, and Blake to her own bed, where she pulled up a book and started to read as everyone started to get ready for another day of classes.

 **Three hours have passed…**

To say that Roy was bored…was an understatement. The first class in the morning, Grimm Anatomy with Professor Port, was exceptionally dull to the skilled hunter. He sat between Weiss and Yang at the front of the class, leaning over the bench tiredly. The portly Professor's story was filled to the brim with inconsistencies, particularly in the parts where Grimm hides were mentioned. The hunter had taken to drawing in his journal, which he had grabbed with his other school supplies when the team had left in the morning. The hunter glanced over at Weiss, almost smiling as he watched her for a few moments.

He started to draw his teammate, a picture of her from his perspective. Her focused eyes, how she held her pencil between her thumb and index finger. Roy's hand went to work creating his picture, sketching his teammate on the blank paper as if he was developing a picture from a camera. His mind wasn't even on the class at hand, and he didn't even notice as the Professor began to walk closer to his spot.

"Mr. de Chasse!" Roy blinked back to reality, turning his head around to see the Professor standing before him.

"I hear that you come from a famous family of hunters. I would like to see you skill against one of the Grimm for myself-"Port stopped himself mid-sentence, as his eyes caught what was on Roy's paper.

"Aha! I see that even the most accomplished of warriors has a soft spot for the ladies!" The Professor commented loudly, a hearty laugh following his statement. Weiss now looked at Roy's paper, and began to grow red in the face. On his paper was the picture he had drawn, perfectly representing the heiress. Yang started to laugh as even Roy began to have pink to his cheeks.

"How about you give the ladies more to whisper about in the halls, Mr. de Chasse? Come, prove your skill for them," Professor Port waved him over, and Roy stood up. Walking to the middle of the room, he didn't even get out of his uniform, only pulling out his bone knife from his hip sheath. The Professor watched him with intrigue as Roy took his knife into a backhand grip, and stood at the ready.

"Prepare yourself, Mr. de Chasse!" The Professor swung his Blunderbuss Axe down onto the chain of a cage, and from it sprung a Beowolf. The beast started to sprint towards Roy, who didn't move at all in response. Weiss started to worry, as Roy did nothing as the Grimm began to approach at high speed. The Beowolf pounced, leaping high as its claws reached for Roy's body.

In a flash, Roy ducked under the Beowolf, catching it with his knife through its neck. Leaping into his thrust, he stabbed all the way through the beast's neck, the point of his knife pointing through the back. In a second motion before he came back to the ground, he snapped the wolf's neck, slamming it back down underneath his knee.

Roy looked over the cadaver, and nodded calmly to himself. Taking the body, he flipped it over and brought his knife up. Kneeling down, he then began to carve off the hide of the Beowolf in front of the entire class. Audible gasps were heard as the hide was pulled off, a gruesome sight to see the beast be skinned. Team RWBY watched in horror, Yang covering Ruby's eyes, Blake leaning away from the bench, and Weiss averting her gaze from the sight. Even Professor Port was visibly disgusted, holding back his stomach contents with his hand.

Roy stood from the corpse, nodding with a small smile as he took the hide into his hands. It was a decent sized beast, giving him about two by five feet of fur to work with. Looking to the Professor, he gestured to the hide resting in his hands.

"Sir, may I take this and treat it?" Roy held it out in front of him, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Er…yes, please take that out." Roy walked out with his prize, seeming to be quite pleased with himself.

"Weiss, could you please carry my things if I don't get back before class ends?" Roy asked his teammate, who nodded slowly in response. Roy gave her a nod, and walked out of the lecture hall with the raw Beowolf skin. The heiress then looked over at her teammate's notebook, and blushed once again as she saw her own face drawn on the page.

 **Later…**

Weiss sat at lunch with her teammates minus Roy, who was still out treating the skin he had claimed. Her hands rested on Roy's school supplies, her tray set aside as she sat in thought. The whole mess hall was abuzz with rumors, excited chatter about Roy's exploits. Women swooned, and men grumbled over the topic of the hunter. Weiss was listening in on many of the louder conversations, her mind elsewhere as she hardly touched her food.

"Weiss?" Ruby called her teammate, prodding her with a finger.

"What, Ruby?" Weiss turned to her teammate, who had a concerned look on her face.

Ruby pointed to Yang, who was watching the heiress with a sly grin and crossed arms. "Thinking about someone, Weiss?" Weiss' face grew red, as Ruby started to snicker at her partner's expense.

"N-no! Well, maybe! Why do you care?" Weiss retorted, crossing her arms as she pouted.

"It's just so easy to 'Schnee' that you've got a real crush for Roy," Yang joked, earning an apple to the side of her head from Nora, followed by a 'Bad!' from the hammer wielder.

"And so what if I do?" Weiss narrowed her eyes at her teammate, who gave a sly grin.

"Let's just say you've got a lot of competition, Weiss," Yang winked at her, to which the heiress scoffed at. Ruby, unseen by her sister, started to twiddle her thumbs nervously, a blush coming to her cheeks.

Jaune was deep in thought, lost on his own train of thought over the hunter. _He's hiding something, but what? He knows more than he's letting on…_ His eyes started to follow a maroon gloved hand, and he followed it to Pyrrha's concerned eyes.

"Are you alright, Jaune? You seem…troubled." The Spartan rested a hand on Jaune's arm, offering some comfort.

"I-I'm fine, Pyrrha. Just…thinking," Jaune replied, uncertainty in his voice.

"Is it about-"Pyrrha was cut off, as Roy kicked open the doors to the mess hall. Her eyes diverted to her teammate, who walked in casually wearing a large black cape over his armored shoulders. The hunter eyed people as he walked in, clearly aware of the attention he was garnering. He strutted over to the table where his two teams were seated, dropping himself onto the bench next to Jaune.

"Good afternoon, friends!" He waved to everyone, a proud smile on his face. Team RWBY and Nora waved back, happy to see their friend. Ren studied the shawl Roy wore, noting that it was likely the Beowolf Team RWBY were saying he had skinned in front of an entire lecture hall. Jaune nervously chuckled as Roy beamed to the team leader, still unsure about his teammate. Roy spotted the uncertain look in Jaune's eyes, and clapped his hand on his shoulder.

"What troubles you, Jaune?" Roy gave him a concerned expression, genuine in its feeling.

"Uh…I'm just…homesick! Yeah, really missing my family," Jaune reasoned, to which Roy gave a sympathetic look.

"Ah, I see. I miss my family, too." Roy's eyes fell, and Jaune felt it; a sudden pang of guilt. _He's…sorry?_ Jaune thought to himself, watching as the hunter took on a new smile.

"I've a large family, myself. Dozens of cousins, aunts, uncles." Roy took a moment to pause, resting his arms on the table as Jaune and Pyrrha leaned in to listen. "And every year, we have a great family gathering, of both Hunters and HearthFires, where we have the most fantastic festival, tournaments, games, food. I remember one year…" Roy started to go off into a story, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he recalled his tale to his teammates, whom all were listening in at this point.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"…and Hyena says, 'Honey! This one's eating my popcorn!'" The table erupted in a fit of laughter, as Roy finished his tale. The hunter smiled, resting his arms on the table. Once everyone was calmed down, he gestured to Jaune. "How about you, Jaune? Do you have any stories of your family?"

"W-what? Well, I mean, I've got a few, not nearly as good as yours though…"Jaune scratched the back of his head sheepishly, but was startled when Roy clapped him on the back.

"Nonsense! If you remember it, it's a story worth telling!" Roy proclaimed, earning sounds of agreement from their teammates and friends. "Do you have any siblings?" Roy asked, clearly intrigued.

"I-I've got seven sisters." Jaune stated, which caused the entire table to freeze.

"You've got SEVEN SISTERS?!" Nora yelled, standing up before being pulled back down by Ren.

Jaune nervously laughed, but stopped when he saw Roy's face; he was impressed. "Jaune, I knew you were of strong make when I first met you, and now you've proven why." Roy stated, giving him a wide grin.

"Uh, do you have any siblings?" Jaune asked, now more curious than ever.

"Haven't the pleasure, I'm afraid. But I've many older and younger cousins, and they treat me as a sibling," Roy answered, as the two shared a glance of mutual respect. Roy looked to his right hip, activating the holder in it. He pulled out his Scroll, looking it over quickly. "It seems we have to get going to class soon. Come, to sparring practice!" Roy hopped up, as their teammates followed.

 _I guess he isn't so bad. I mean, I've got secrets too. I'll just have to trust him. After all, he's my teammate. I'm sure he'll open up someday._ Jaune smiled as he watched the hunter walk at the head of the group, nodding to himself.

"How're you feeling now, Jaune?" Pyrrha walked up beside him as they headed out of the mess hall.

"I'm better, Pyrrha. I think…I can trust him now." Jaune replied, sharing a look with Pyrrha as the two partners followed their friends, watching as Nora hopped onto Roy's back.

 **At the next class…**

"Roy de Chasse and Jaune Arc versus Cardin Winchester and Dove Bronzewing." Glynda called them down, and the two pairs took their sides opposite each other. Cardin brandished his mace menacingly, while his tan-armored partner readied his Gladius-gun combo. Jaune stood at the ready, and Roy drew his blade eagerly.

"Jaune, I'm not certain as to how you stand in a fight. Therefore, we'll have to watch each other. Understand?" Roy looked to Jaune, who nodded.

"Get ready for payback, Roy-boy!" Cardin jeered, readying his mace. Dove stood at the ready beside him.

"Begin!"

Roy dashed in, leaving Jaune in the dust behind him. Stepping between the two, Roy fired off an explosive round into Dove's chest, knocking him off his feet. With the recoil, Roy swung for Cardin, who was knocked back by the sheer force of the strike. Roy stepped in, releasing rapid slashes to Cardin's unarmored areas before kicking him in the chest.

Jaune stepped in to fight Dove, who had recovered by the time he had reached him. Jaune went for a slash, which was easily deflected. Dove's chop was blocked by Jaune's timely shield block, and was followed up by and exchange of steel. From across the arena, Roy sported a grin as he angled his sword from his draw stance to aim at Dove.

"Jaune, duck!" Jaune did as he was told, and another explosive round pelted Dove directly in the chest from afar, which Jaune took advantage of by ramming his shield into his opponent's body.

Roy used the recoil once again to throw a quick-draw attack, but this time it was blocked by Cardin's mace. The mace-wielder swung for his opponent, who dropped under the mace and threw a quick slash for his legs. Cardin stepped through the slash, going for another swing. This swing crashed from above, causing a mass of the ground to spike up. Roy leapt out of harm's way, but saw that the blast had disrupted Jaune's attack, and the knight was knocked off his feet by a fierce swing from Dove.

Jaune was about to get up, but was met with Dove's foot slamming down onto his chest-piece. He let out a yell of desperation as the fellow sword-wielder raised his weapon to finish him off. Dove, however, never got the chance, as he was smashed in the stomach by a wicked, armored fist. The punch knocked him away, sending him tumbling across the arena. Roy picked Jaune up, lifting him to his feet. The two looked to Cardin, who growled at the loss of his teammate in the bout.

"Still capable, Jaune?" Roy asked, as he took a moment to look over Jaune's weapon.

"Yeah, I'm good." Jaune was breathing heavily, but he was otherwise alright.

"Good. Now, I'm going to trust you with something," Roy tossed his sword straight upwards, the blade spinning through the air. "Hand me your sword and shield." Roy held out his hands, as Jaune took a confused look.

"What, why?" Jaune looked up at Roy's sword, which was now reaching the top of its arc.

"I need you to take a shot that I cannot. You know how to fire a gun?" Roy asked. As his sword started to fall, it started to come loose, forming into a rifle.

"Well, yes." After a moment of thinking, he sighed. He handed Crocea Mors over to Roy, who held the blade and shield in his grip for a moment. The fully formed rifle was now falling down at a fast rate, as Cardin started to run at the pair, yelling a mighty war cry.

"Thank you, Jaune. I'll take care of them. And I entrust you with Plum Blossom. She'll aim true for you," Before Cardin could even react, Roy stepped in, slamming him with the force of a train with the shield. Stepping in, he released a salvo of slashes onto Cardin once again. Jaune stood there for a moment before the rifle fell into his arms. He fumbled with it a moment, taking it into his hands carefully.

 _Man, this thing's heavy! What's it made of?_ Jaune thought to himself, before taking a crouched stance with the rifle aimed at Cardin. His grip swayed as he tried his best to keep his arms up.

Roy thrust into Cardin's chest-piece, knocking him back. Roy then leapt up, kicking Cardin square in the chest. Cardin moved in for an attack, but Roy was able to activate his Semblance, blocking the attack in its entirety. The forces equaled out, and Roy took advantage of the opening with a shield bash. Looking back, he smiled when he saw Jaune at the ready, and he turned back to see Cardin's mace coming for his head.

 _Damn! No time to move..!_ Roy tried to move in reaction, but he wasn't fast enough on the draw.

Suddenly, Cardin's mace was jerked backwards in a blast of ice, ensnaring the weapon against the arena wall. Roy leapt away, and looked back to Jaune, who sat dumbfounded by what he'd done. Roy gave him a thumbs up, before smashing Cardin's chest with Jaune's shield one last time, knocking him clear off his feet and onto his back.

The buzzer rang out, and Jaune looked up in surprise. "We won?" Jaune asked in confusion, holding the rifle loose at his side. Roy held a proud smile on his face as he walked over to his teammate with Crocea Mors in its sheath.

"Your weapon is most impressive, Jaune. Thank you for trusting me," Roy held the scabbard out to Jaune, who looked at it for a moment.

"I'm just happy I didn't miss," Jaune replied, taking Crocea Mors and handing Plum Blossom back to her owner.

"Didn't you hear me, Jaune? She'll always hit her mark in your hands, just as she does for me," Roy answered, a smile on his face. He flipped his weapon back into its sword form, setting it back onto his back. Jaune grinned back, a sense of pride in his chest.

"Very impressive, both of you. Clearly, Mr. Winchester and Mr. Bronzewing have something to learn from you in terms of working as a team," Glynda glared at the latter pair, who grunted in response to their beating.

Jaune and Roy walked out first, proud smiles on their faces. The two entered the locker room area, heading out to the seating area.

"Jaune?" Roy stopped his teammate, pressing his shoulder with a hand.

"Yes, Roy?" Jaune turned, meeting the ever-intense look of the hunter.

"Does your sword have a name?" Jaune was taken aback by this question, but didn't show any confusion.

"It's called Crocea Mors. It's been passed down through my family for a long time now…"Jaune answered, Roy nodding slowly in understanding.

"I see. May I…" Roy held out his hand, and Jaune had to take a moment to realize what he wanted.

"Oh! Sure, here," Jaune held out Crocea Mors for Roy to take, which he did so carefully.

"Crocea Mors…thank you. Your long history is easily recognizable, as you fight alongside your wielder like an old friend," Roy spoke to the steel of the sword, closing his eyes as he rested his head along the blade. "I'm honored to have fought beside you, as Jaune has the pleasure of doing so every day," Roy opened his eyes, a look of soft pride as he held the sword back out to Jaune.

"Uh…what was that?" Jaune asked, taking Crocea Mors and setting it back in its sheath.

"Hunters never share their weapons with anyone, as weapons are an extension of the soul. To share a weapon is to share one's soul with another. I entrusted you with Plum Blossom because I know that I will have to trust you in the coming months. That was a small prayer, a sort of thanks to your sword for trusting me back," Roy explained, a look of cheerful melancholy in his eyes, a strange mix of happiness and sad remembering. He then brought his own sword out, holding it out to Jaune.

"Would you like to say a few words?" Jaune stared at the sword, dumbfounded at the prospect.

"Well…okay," Jaune took the sword from Roy's grip, watching as the two member of Team CRDL left the room. Waiting until the pair was gone, he then held the blade close to his forehead, similar to what Roy had done.

"Uh…I'm not sure what to say. You're an amazing gun, and a really cool sword. I'm happy you saved Roy today. Uh, thank you…for…trusting me," Jaune finished, looking at the sword in his hands. He held it back out to Roy, who took it back.

"You honor me, Jaune. Come, our friends await."

In the stands, Blake was reading over one of Roy's family books. She had watched the fight; now intrigued as to if sharing weapons has any cultural significance to the Hunters, she was reading rapidly through the tome in a chapter labeled 'Weapons of Hunters'. She had spotted quite a number of weapon designs, all of which were stated to be currently in use by Hunters. Those included the Kannebol, a seemingly unusable Kanabo-cannon combination, which fires full-size cannonballs from the end, and the Sonic Tornado, a pair of leg greaves that had blades fixed to the outside.

Then she saw it, her answer. "Those who have used a Hunter's weapon are considered to be trusted greatly by that hunter, and is usually done so as a gesture of friendship. However, Hunters will not share weapons between each other unless absolutely necessary." Blake read softly aloud, not noticing Ruby listening in.

"Does it say anything about sharing armor?" Blake nearly jumped out of her skin when Ruby spoke, not noticing the closeness between them.

"Ruby!" Blake chastised her quietly, narrowing her eyes at the young team leader.

"Hehe, sorry," Ruby apologized, leaning away nervously.

Blake pouted, but then turned back to the book. Ruby sighed, then turning around to cuddle with the blanket Roy had left behind. Apparently, Roy had actually turned the Beowolf skin into a blanket, which also has a small chain so it could be worn like a cape. She smiled, the warm fur rubbing up against her face.

Roy and Jaune came up from the locker room, both still wearing proud grins on their faces. Weiss opened up a seat, which Jaune took quickly with a sly grin. Weiss groaned, as Roy walked around from above, dropping himself onto a seat between Yang and the now sleeping Ruby.

"Hello, Yang," Roy greeted the blonde.

"Hey, Roy. Nice work out there," Yang replied, holding up a hand for a high-five.

"Uh…" Roy pointed to her hand, and Yang blinked. The blonde then took his armored hand, and then slapped their two hands together.

"It's called a high-five. You do it when you do something cool with someone," Yang explained, and Roy nodded slowly.

"Alright, then." Roy looked over to Ruby, who was out like a light. Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Roy blinked, looking at Ruby with an eyebrow.

 _She's wrapped in my blanket…and we need to go to the next class._ Roy thought to himself, then nodded as an answer came to mind.

 **A few minutes later...**  
"Uh, Roy? Shouldn't you wake her up?" Yang asked, walking beside the hunter. As most people passing him did, she gave him a raised eyebrow. It was, of course, a strange sight; Roy was carrying Ruby, who was wrapped in a mass of black fur, bridal style as she slept to the next class.

"Of course not! Only someone who requires sleep would fall asleep at this hour," Roy reasoned, adjusting the young leader in his arms.

"That is a fair point, Yang," Blake added, as Weiss stepped in.

"But Ruby isn't in our History class! She has Leader training with Jaune!" Weiss retorted, crossing herself as she raised an eyebrow to the hunter. The four had stopped in the hallway, as Roy took in a sigh.

"Very well." Roy looked to Ruby, tenderly shaking her until she started to show signs of consciousness. "Ruby…time to rise," Roy said in a soft sing-song way. Ruby let out a quiet, cute yawn as she woke up.

"Huzzah…where am I...?" Silver eyes then met purple, and Ruby realized where she was. With an embarrassed 'Eep', she hid her face into Roy's chest. Roy blinked, waiting for the team leader to move again.

"Can I set you down, Ruby?" Ruby nodded into him. He carefully set her onto her feet, and Ruby stood awkwardly in front of him.

"Uh…Bye!" Ruby then sped off, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake. Roy blinked, wondering what he'd done. He shrugged, following Yang to their next class.

"Yang, why did Ruby flee so quickly?" Roy asked, as the two sat down for class. Roy pulled out his notebook, bringing a pencil out.

"No idea," Yang lied, though she was quite aware as to what the issue was. _She's got a crush on Roy too._ The blonde sighed, but was pulled out of her thoughts as their Professor dashed to the front of the lecture hall.

"Good afternoon, class! Let's get started right away, we have a lot of material to cover!" The dark-green haired Professor, in all his untidiness, then divulged directly into a rapid-fire lecture about the early days of the kingdom of Vale. Roy tried to take notes, but found it was an uphill battle. Yang watched, bemused that Roy would even try to take notes in this class. _He's certainly cute when he's focused…_ Yang smiled, until she saw the shift;

Roy's eyes had unconsciously shifted into green, and he was writing at near impossible speeds. His paper was filling quickly, and he turned the page in a flash as he wrote as fast as the Professor spoke.

 _What…is he doing?_ Yang thought to herself, now slightly concerned about her teammate.

"Mr. de Chasse!" The Professor had zoomed over to the student, who froze in place.

"Sir!" Roy replied, his eyes changing back to purple as he blinked out of his own mind.

"I don't believe we've met. Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck." Professor Oobleck held out a hand, which Roy shook vigorously.

"Nice to know you, Doctor," Roy gave him a nod, and the Professor then looked down at his paper.

"Your notes…most impressive! I see that you have a respect for our history that few could match! Now, to my question, do you know why older cities were built on rivers?" Oobleck asked, taking a sip from his mug after he was done speaking.

"Commerce, easy access to water, and for fertile grounds to farm on," Roy replied, receiving vigorous nods of agreement.

"Correct! Waterways were essential to the founding of most ancient cities, except those in western Mistral, where mountain springs are exceptionally prevalent," The Professor went on, allowing Roy to go back to his note-taking 'mode'. Yang then looked over to Blake, who was seated next to Pyrrha. She tilted her head to Roy, and Blake looked over at him. Catching onto what Yang wanted her to notice, she then pulled up one of Roy's family tomes. She then nodded, and pulled out a piece of paper. After writing something down onto it, she then folded it carefully, and sent it spinning through the air. The note silently spiraled across the air, landing gracefully in front of Yang. Yang gave her a thumbs-up, and opened it.

'Apparently, they call Roy's eyes the 'Apex Hunters'. They have a tendency to unconsciously and accidentally use their Aura and Semblances when it's necessary. He's probably not even aware that he's doing it.'

Yang nodded, and slipped the paper away under her own notebook. She sighed, hoping the class would end soon.

 **That night…**

Roy laid in his hammock, now bereft of his armor and in his sleepwear, shirtless with a pair of purple pajama bottoms. He was staring up at the ceiling, his mind elsewhere. In the rest of the room, Team RWBY was joined by Pyrrha and Nora, who had come over to talk 'girl things'. Roy didn't mind too much, though their incessant giggling kept interrupting Roy's train of thought. Roy let out a sigh, and swung out of his hammock.

"I'm going for a walk," Roy stated, as he left the room. The six girls were then left alone, falling silent until the hunter had left the room.

Weiss was the first to speak after the door shut. "So, what do you girls think of him?" The heiress, like the other girls, was in her sleepwear, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger.

"He's certainly polite," Pyrrha commented, a soft smile on her face. Blake nodded to that, giving a soft 'hmm' in agreement. Yang then weighed in on the conversation, looking to her fellow girls with a sly grin.

"But you all gotta admit, he's rocking those muscles," Yang added salaciously, letting out a tiger growl afterwards. Ruby and Weiss grew red in the face, as did Pyrrha.

"Y-Yes, I suppose he's rather attractive," Pyrrha stammered, obviously uncomfortable on the topic.

"I bet it's from skinning all those Beowolves!" Nora added, popping out from underneath Roy's fur blanket. She sat wrapped in the blanket, as if she was a little kid hiding inside it.

"Nora! What're you doing?" Weiss scolded the hammer-wielder, who stuck her tongue out in response.

"I really like when we talk about weapons," Ruby said quietly, pressing her two index fingers together nervously.

"What about you, Blake? You haven't said much," Yang said, elbowing her partner with a grin.

"He's nice. And…I guess he looks good in whatever you put him in," Blake shrugged, and Yang nodded in agreement.

"So…who's interested in him?" Yang looked around the room, that sly grin not dying yet. Weiss raised her hand first, and Yang almost narrowed her eyes at the heiress. Then she spotted Ruby's hand from the top bunk. Then she saw Pyrrha give a 'sort of' motion with her hand.

"So, pretty much everyone, except Nora and Blake?" Yang asked, then seeing that her partner had raised her hand.

"Okay, just Nora," Yang re-stated, watching as Nora shuffled across the floor slowly towards her teammate, pouncing out of the blanket to tackle her into a hug.

"This'll be fun," Blake muttered, then spotting something in the book in her hand that alarmed her.

'The Dangers of an Apex'… _What dangers are there?_

Roy didn't quite understand his need for solitude, but he wasn't one to question his instincts. Hands in his pockets, he walked down the hallways of the dorms, no clear destination in mind. He thought about his teammates, keenly aware that they were likely discussing him now that he was gone. Shaking his head, he tried to dismiss the thoughts about his teammates. As he came around another corner, he spotted a girl; a petite rabbit Faunus with long, brown hair and matching ears. She was wearing a pair of brown pajama bottoms, and a white tank top. She spotted Roy, and immediately looked down to avoid eye contact.

"Excuse me, miss," Roy started, waving a hand as the Faunus girl winced at the raised hand. Roy noticed her timid response, and put his hand down.

"I just wanted to say that your ears look nice," Roy stated, trying his best to give her a smile.

"Really? You don't think I'm…I'm a freak?" The girl whispered in a soft, unique accent. She took one of her ears into her hands, nervously rubbing it with her thumb.

"Of course not. Outward appearances have nothing to do with a person's character," Roy answered, nodding to her. "Well, I should be going…"Roy started to walk away, as the girl grabbed his shoulder gently.

"Wait!" Roy turned around, a curious look in his eyes.

"Um…could I join you? I-If not, that's okay too…" Roy shook his head, and took her hand to bring her along with him. He released her hand, and the pair started to walk together.

"Come, let's walk together. What's your name?" Roy started, the brown-eyed girl having to walk a bit quickly to match his relaxed pace.

"Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina," She smiled to the hunter, her eyes lighting up in friendly excitement.

"Roy de Chasse, a pleasure to meet you," Roy met Velvet's gaze, slowing down so she wouldn't be walking at such a frantic pace.

"I know you, Roy. I've been hearing…a lot, from my teammate. A lot of girls have been talking about you, actually." Velvet said, rolling her eyes slightly at the thought of her teammate. The pair came to a door, which Roy opened for his companion. Velvet gave him a 'thank you', passing underneath his arm. As they entered into one of Beacon's courtyards, bathed in moonlight, they spotted Cardin, and Velvet hopped behind the hunter.

"Hey Roy, what're you doing with that freak?" Cardin narrowed his eyes, standing up from the bench he was sitting on.

Roy looked confused, then started to look around the courtyard. He took a few steps, looking for something. He picked Velvet up bridal style, looking underneath her. Roy then turned back to Cardin and shrugged.

"What 'freak' are you referring to? I'm only joined by Velvet here." He gestured to Velvet, who waved anxiously.

"The Faunus! You can't seriously say you think she's normal, do you?" Cardin sneered, his eyes filled with hate.

"Do you wish to be the pot, or the kettle, when it comes to regards to 'normal'?" Roy retorted, his eyes narrowing at the mace-wielder. Velvet giggled, and Cardin growled, stepping closer.

"What'd you say-"Cardin started to retort, but was met with a fist up against his chest. It wasn't a strike, but it was clearly a threat.

"Stop, Cardin. You have your opinions, and I've mine. Leave now, and this goes no further." Roy's voice had dropped, a hint of cold malice in his serious tone. Cardin's eyes widened, seeing the muscles in Roy's arm tense up in preparation to strike. He let out a grunt, and turned away, leaving the courtyard.

"Sorry about that, Velvet. Shall we?" Roy turned back to his friend, who had red cheeks.

 _He…protected me._ She nodded, her blush fading as they continued on their walk.

 **A short time later…**

Roy and Velvet stopped in front of her room, smiles on their faces as they came to her door. The two had walked until they saw that it was nearly curfew, and decided to walk back quickly. Roy stopped as Velvet turned around in front of her door, her hands resting in front of her.

"Well, I suppose this is goodnight, Roy," Velvet stated in a slightly coquettish tone, her eyes now alight with a playful mood.

"I suppose so." Roy replied, his eyes with a warm intent. He stepped forward, giving a gentle peck on her forehead with his lips. Her face turned beet red, and she froze. He stepped back, and noticed her red cheeks.

"A kiss on the forehead is a Hunter's way of saying…'thank you'. Thank you for the nice walk, Velvet." Roy explained, and the brown-haired girl nodded in understanding.

"Um…could you..?" She pressed down on his shoulder gently, and he stooped so he was at direct eye level with her. Standing on her toes, she gave the same gesture, leaving Roy with a stronger smile as he stood to full height again.

"Thank you, Roy, for…being a good person." Velvet blushed, turning away and opening her door. Once she was in, Roy turned, walking away and back to his room.

"Who was that, Velvet?" Velvet entered the room, and a boy with dark skin and white eyes looked across the room at her.

"A new friend I made, Fox." Velvet replied, a sense of giddiness still in her voice.

"That was definitely a boy, Vel!" Another girl, with short brown hair and a salacious smile, lowered a sly look to her teammate. "You're still blushing. Who's the lucky man?"

Velvet squirmed under her partner's eyes, as a fourth giant of a boy emerged from the bathroom. "Coco, let her be." Coco rolled her eyes, as the boy came around to his bed.

"It's okay, Yatsu. It was a first-year, that boy you were talking about at lunch," Velvet scuffed her feet on the floor, but was immediately taken by the shoulders by her partner.

"Roy de Chasse? That handsome hunk of muscle that's in your history class?" Coco shook her as she spoke, causing Velvet to get disorientated.

"Yes?" was the brown haired girl's only response, as she was dropped by her teammate.

"Honey, from what I've heard, he's really hard to talk to. For him to talk to you himself, is huge! You've got to take this and run with it, girl!" Coco urged Velvet, her eyes lit with excitement.

"I don't know, Coco. He lives with Team RWBY, don't you think that might be a problem..?" Velvet replied timidly, met with Coco's eyes giving her a stare.

"Maybe," Coco took her chin into her hand, pacing to the other side of the room. "But…that could work for you. What if they start fighting over him? He'll come running your way if they do," The fashionista reasoned, giving the Faunus-girl a devious grin.

"We'll make it work, Vel. Just let me handle it." Coco said, crossing her arms and holding her chin with her thumb and index finger.

"Okay, Coco."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roy knocked on Team RWBY's door, and it was quickly opened. Weiss stood at the door, her arms crossed and a glare in her eyes. Roy waited for a moment, cautiously eyeing his teammate. The two stood staring at each other, even as Ruby and Yang peeked out from further in the room to see them.

"It's been an hour," Weiss stated, her voice laced with a cold venom.

"I went for a walk," Roy replied, taking a small step forward. Weiss stepped in front of him, and he stopped in his tracks.

"You almost missed curfew. Where did you go?" Weiss questioned, her tone becoming more accusatory. Behind her, Yang seemed to be getting all the more worried for Roy's safety.

"To the eastern side of this building. Stepped out to the courtyard, and came back." Roy's tone was even, reflecting no lies to the ice-cold heiress. Weiss stood firm, but then took a step back, letting the hunter in.

"This better not be a regular thing, Roy." Weiss stated, her tone softening slightly.

"Yeah, Ice Queen might have an aneurysm worrying about you," Yang remarked, causing Weiss to grow red in the face.

"Why you-"Weiss started up, but Roy cut her off.

"Weiss." Roy said, and Weiss turned to look at him. She was met with a kiss to the forehead, causing all in company to go silent. She stood red as a beet, her mouth open in surprise.

"Thank you for your concerns. I will try to be back earlier for you," Roy stated, walking over to his hammock and dropping himself onto it. Blake had been watching the entire conflict go down, and was now bemused. She stood up, bringing her book with her. Weiss was still in shock, as was Yang and Ruby.

"Weiss, this says here that kisses on the forehead are a way of saying 'thank you' sincerely," Blake said, giving her a neutral look as she read the book before nodding dumbly.

"Maybe I'll get one too…"Ruby whispered to herself, pulling her blanket up and getting ready for sleep.

"Well…that was interesting." Yang said, nodding before standing up and clapping her hand onto Weiss' shoulder. "Seems even the Ice Queen can be melted," Yang remarked, before being shoved away.

"Go to sleep, Yang," Weiss walked over to her bunk, taking a last look at the still form of Roy before getting into bed.

"G'night, everyone." Yang said, turning the lights off.

"Good night!" Everyone except Roy said, as silence took over the room.

Blake looked over at Roy, who then quietly turned in his sleep. The hunter was more than wide awake, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. The black-haired girl sighed quietly, as concern filled in her eyes.

 _What's bothering you, Roy? It's something you're hiding, something you don't want us to ever find out…_ Blake felt a pang of empathy wash over her, as she ran her hands through her hair, going gently over her bow.

"Sleep well, Roy," Blake whispered, settling down for sleep. 

**Well, that ended on an interesting note. Anyway, writer's note down here. Anyway, I figured I'd tell you all that hopefully, hopefully, I'll be on a more regular schedule from now on.**

 **Also, here's the current standings of the Shipping polls! I'll cut it off after maybe...hmm...in five chapters! Make sure you vote!**

 **Weiss-4**

 **Ruby-2**

 **Blake-2**

 **Yang-1**

 **Pyrrha-1**

 **Anyone else-0**

 **So, Weiss is in the lead. Surprising, but still awesome! I'm almost wondering why...eh, I'll ask myself that later. Anyway, if anyone has any criticisms, constructive and polite preferred, please let me know. Also, if anyone has any ideas for a one-shot chapter, I will do my best to deliver! Have a nice day!**


	8. 8: A Day with Hunters, Part One

Chapter 8

 **Two weeks have passed…**

In the two weeks of classes, things for Teams RWBY and JNPR hardly went dull. From classes to free-time antics, training to feelings, the group of teens hardly had a moment's rest. Roy had started training with Pyrrha in order to gain higher control of his Aura, all of Team RWBY and Velvet had begun their quests to earn Roy's attention, and Nora tried to steal a sloth from a zoo.

Needless to say, it grew to be hectic in Beacon very quickly.

Roy sat on the edge of his hammock, listening to Yang talk about her day as she brushed her hair. The last few days, Roy had been rather lost in thought, but found comfort in listening to his roommates talk to him. He smiled as she joked about Professor Port, enjoying the conversation. Blake sat on her bed, reading one of her own books, one Roy had bought her, her face slightly red from the novel's subject. The girls were getting ready for bed, happy that the week was over, and that Saturday was only a night away. Yang stood up, hopping into her bunk.

"Well, I'm gonna turn in. Night, everyone!" Yang turned over, getting comfy.

The other girls got ready for bed, as Roy got up off his hammock. He paced slightly uncomfortably, a tense look in his eyes.

"Everything okay, Roy?" Weiss asked, sitting up in her bed.

"Yes…I'm fine. Go to sleep, I'll get in bed soon." Roy replied, as he looked out the window.

Weiss watched her teammate with concerned eyes, but relented. The lights went out, and Roy could see out the window clearly. His eyes lit up, spotting a silhouette prowling up the side of one of the buildings across from their own. He smiled, looking to either side before quietly tiptoeing to the window. He unlocked the latch, and raised it up, leaving it open before going back to his hammock.

Blake waited until Roy had turned away before she stood up herself, looking out the open window for whatever Roy was looking at. Nothing was there, and she briefly considered closing the window. Shaking her head, she walked back to her bed, falling quickly into a restless sleep…

 **The next morning…**

Blake scrunched her nose, yawning quietly as she awoke. She looked over at Roy's hammock, seeing a mass of black. She nodded, remembering that he was regularly using his new blanket. She let her head hit the pillow again, until she heard something different. A low growl, something inhuman from Roy's hammock. Her eyes went wide, before she slowly turned her head back to where Roy should've been sleeping.

Yellow eyes met yellow eyes, as a black panther rose from underneath Roy's blanket.

Blake held in her instinct to run, frozen in terror as the predator slowly shook the covering from its back. The lean beast kept its eyes trained on the black-haired girl, who didn't dare move a muscle. It didn't move beyond that, taking a sitting position, perfectly balanced on the slightly swaying bundle of rope.

"H-Hello?" Blake whispered, slowly pulling herself into a sitting position.

The panther didn't move, rather, it only stared at her. Blake began to wonder if she was dreaming, as the panther seemed unreal, stoic and calm as it eyed her suspiciously. She moved her hand slowly to grab Gambol Shroud, looking away for an instant to make sure she was able to grab it without making too sudden a move.

Before she could react, the pouncing figure of the panther was all she could see.

Blake let out a scream, waking up from her nightmare with a jolt. She sat up, clutching her chest in unknown terror. This sudden noise caused the other teammates to react in various ways. Ruby jumped off her bed, falling onto the floor in a panicked frenzy. Weiss sat up too fast, slamming her head into the bed above her. Yang too fell off her bunk, but since she was tangled in her bedsheets, was left suspended from the upper bunk by her leg.

Roy, however, wasn't even in the dorm.

Blake breathed heavily, looking to her now distraught teammates with worried eyes.

"Blake!" Ruby scrambled to her feet, climbing up to her teammate's bedside. The redheaded girl brought her head up over the edge of the bed, leaving her legs limp on the floor. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine, just a…crazy nightmare," Blake replied, shaking her head of the memory of the dream.

"Ow…"Weiss held her head, rubbing the tender bump that was growing on her forehead.

"Uh, guys? A bit of help?" Yang was hanging at just the right height to be at eye-level with Blake, a nervous grin on her face as she hanged suspended over the floor. Ruby was the first to start laughing, followed quickly by Weiss and even Blake at Yang's expense. Yang crossed her arms, pouting as her teammates laughed. But then she spotted something behind Weiss, something pure black on one of Weiss' boxes.

It was a black cat, eating from a can of tuna. It looked up from its meal, looking directly at Yang.

"Uh…Weiss?" Yang pointed, and the heiress followed her finger to the spot the blonde was pointing at. She looked, then turned back to Yang.

"Yes, it's just a cat eating tuna, I don't see what-"Weiss then realized what she said, turning back to the cat.

"Why is there a cat in our room?!" Weiss jumped back, as the cat looked to them with a rather uninterested glean to its eyes. The cat was purely black with medium length hair, lean and just a bit larger than an average house cat. Its emerald green eyes reflected a lack of interest in the girls, though it was thoroughly enjoying its meal.

Ruby zoomed over to the cat, which didn't move in any response. She circled the feline, a look of childish joy at its presence.

"Kitty…"Ruby moved her hand slowly towards the cat, only turning its head to watch the hand come closer. It sniffed towards Ruby's hand, then turned away, finishing off the can of tuna quickly. After it finished, the cat now turned to face Ruby, seating itself facing the other four inhabitants of the room. By this time, Yang was able to get herself corrected, now seated on Blake's bed with her.

"So, what're we gonna do with it?" Yang asked, as Ruby tried to get her hand close to the cat.

Blake watched the cat carefully, as it then spotted Roy's armor. The cat hopped onto Ruby's head, skillfully leaping across the room over to Roy's belongings. The feline started to sniff over the hunter's armor, rubbing his face against some of the plates. It walked around his things, gently perusing the area. Blake got off her bed, cautiously approaching the cat. She held her hand out, the cat now sniffing in her direction.

The cat moved closer, before pressing its forehead against her palm. Blake gently scratched its ears, a small smile building on her face as she pet it. Ruby and Weiss watched with intrigue, Yang too watching with a cautious smile.

There was a knock on the door, and the cat's head darted to face the noise. In a moment, the cat jumped from its spot next to Blake and onto Roy's hammock, taking a seat on the now swinging bundle of ropes.

"Girls? Are you awake now? May I come in?" Roy's voice called out from the other side of the door, knocking on the door a few times before waiting. Weiss walked over to the door, pulling it open for her teammate. Roy stood at the door, behind him waiting a tray of plates of food and in his sleepwear. The hunter smiled at the heiress, clearly pleased with himself. Weiss, however, was less pleased.

"May I ask why a cat broke into our room-"Weiss started up, but Roy walked past her into the room and looked to his hammock. He saw the cat, and immediately his expression brightened.

"Oh, is Jashi here?" Upon hearing his name, the feline hopped from its perch, now seating itself in front of Roy. "How are you?" Roy knelt down, extending his arm to the cat. Jashi leapt onto his arm, climbing quickly up and onto his shoulder. From there, the cat rubbed its face against Roy's, sniffing him over extensively. Roy looked at Weiss, who was now scowling at the hunter.

"Jashi…"Roy said his name, calling the feline to attention. Roy walked over to Weiss, who backed up slightly when Roy bent over slightly so Jashi could look directly at her face. She looked at the cat, who sniffed curiously at the heiress' hair and face.

"Go on, now," was all Roy said. The feline then cautiously pawed at Weiss' shoulder, climbing from Roy to Weiss. The heiress watched as the cat rubbed up against her neck with its forehead. Weiss giggled at the sensation, scratching behind its ears gingerly.

"Seems he actually really likes you, Weiss," Weiss stopped petting the cat, turning back to him with a smile.

"Yes, he is really-"Weiss had to stop, as Jashi had pressed his face against her cheek. "…friendly. I'll just have to guess that he's staying with us?" Jashi looked to Roy, who then stepped in again, letting the feline climb back on.

"Yes, as long as he wishes to. Jashi has always been a free spirit, but he likes to stay close to me." Roy smiled as Jashi pressed his face against his own at the mention of the feline's name.

"So what's up with the food, Roy?" Yang piped in, pointing to the push cart behind him.

"I decided to bring your breakfast to you, ladies. I hope it's as you'd like it," Roy walked back outside the room, pushing in the cart. On it was a decent-sized variety of breakfast foods and fruits. Roy noticed that Ruby had already swiped the strawberry bowl, and the other three girls began to split the rest among themselves. The hunter smiled as he watched his friends eat, as Jashi leapt off his shoulder to continue his own inspection of Roy's belongings.

After everyone had eaten their share and gotten changed, the five teammates left their room to enjoy the beautiful day. Jashi sat on Roy's armored shoulder, watching passerby with a keen and wary eye. Ruby stated that they should head out to Vale, though no one had a real plan as to what they'll do when they get there. Weiss and Roy walked together, while the other three walked slightly ahead of them as they made their way to the Bullhead docking area.

"So Roy, I recall you mentioning your armor's made of something called Dust metal?" Weiss asked, walking with her hands behind her back.

"Yes, it's a particular metal which the HearthFires have been perfecting for many years. Though the process is still a secret, I was taught its properties when I turned twelve. It's a fascinating material." Roy explained, looking over his gauntlet as he spoke. "It's unique in that Dust metal is like a superconductor for Aura, so an experienced Aura user could project their Aura or Semblance through it."

"Like when you use the Shield or Speed facets of your Semblance, your armor changes shape," Weiss commented, the hunter nodding in response.

"Exactly. It has a lot of interesting properties that have been experimented with over the years," Roy stated as the group came outside, met with Team JNPR waiting at the docking area.

"Hey, guys!" Ruby called out to them, Jaune waving to them.

"Hey, Ruby! You guys heading to the city, too?" Jaune asked, as Nora hopped up from behind with Ren and Pyrrha in tow.

"Yeah, we needed something to do today," Yang said, as the two groups came together.

It was then that Pyrrha noticed the cat on Roy's shoulder, watching her teammates warily. She was about to say something, before Nora bounded over to the hunter.

"Oh, look at the kitty! Aw, he's so cute!" Nora cooed as the cat stared at her nervously. Roy smiled, looking up to Jashi. He nodded towards the bubbly girl, and the cat responded by taking Nora's head between his paws and pressing his head against hers. She giggled happily, as the cat hopped over onto her shoulder. Pyrrha came beside her teammate, and the cat gave her similar treatment.

"He's certainly friendly, Roy," Pyrrha smiled as Jashi rubbed up against her cheek from a spot on her shoulder.

"He's, ah, got a soft spot for females," Roy replied, scratching the back of his head. "I would guess because my mother raised him."

The cat returned to his place on Roy's shoulder, as the group of nine climbed aboard a Bullhead. Roy sat down next to Pyrrha and Weiss, holding Jashi in his lap as the Bullhead took off towards the city.

Once the two teams had departed, they started to walk into the city when Roy stopped, pulling out his Scroll. He opened it, seeing that he was receiving a call from his Uncle Alden. As he walked, he answered it, holding it to his ear.

"Uncle Alden, hello," Roy answered, speaking clearly, Yang walking beside him.

"Hello, my boy. I figured that since it's a Saturday, you might want to go out for lunch, catch up," Alden's voice was chipper, and Roy's reply was just as well. Yang had a smile on her face, watching her teammate's eyes light up.

"Well, that's a coincidence, my teammates and I have just landed in the city! We could certainly make it. Where are we meeting you?" Roy asked, Pyrrha and Blake now listening in as well.

"Your Grandmother Garnet just opened up her hibachi shop in Vale, I think that would be a great place to-"

"Grandmother Garnet's in town?!" Roy sounded like a child when he spoke, but he looked around at his teammates, who were all staring at him with big grins. With a red face, he recomposed himself. "Uh, that sounds great, Uncle."

"I figured that you'd enjoy that. The shop is on the corner of Fifth and Winter, I'm sure one of your more tech-savvy friends could get you directions," Alden commented much to his embarrassment. Yang giggled at his expense, while Roy gave a sigh.

"Oh, by the way…on your right," was all Alden commented.

"Understood. See you there, Uncle." Roy hung up, putting his Scroll away.

"Uh, Pyrrha, could you move over just a foot or so?" Pyrrha was confused, but obeyed Roy's strange request. Jashi leapt over to Yang, standing on her shoulder with wide eyes watching his owner.

Without warning, Roy turned, swinging his right arm, clotheslining an object moving at unfathomable speeds. A person tumbled into the alley behind Roy, flopping onto their back with a 'Blegh' sound.

"Cousin Hyena?" Roy watched as the young fellow sprung off his hands and back onto his feet. The man was about Roy's height and age, with similar black hair with green stripes running through the windswept mane on his head. He had sharper features, and a seemingly infinite toothy grin on his face. He wore a brown, lightly armored vest over a green short-sleeved shirt and matching pants with green stripes running up his legs. On his back rested a pair of revolvers, hooked together at the ends of the holsters, and on his legs rested a peculiar set of black-and-green greaves that had bladed wing-tips extending back. Hyena was far thinner than his cousin, but his legs seemed to be far more developed. In a flash, he was leaning against his cousin, his arms crossed.

"Hmm, I don't know, know anyone as fast than me, cousin?" Hyena turned to Roy, and his smile grew. The two embraced each other happily, the thinner man enthusiastically clapping his cousin on the back happily.

"Gonna introduce us, Roy?" Yang stepped up to the two, happy to see Roy so excited.

"Hyena, this is Yang Xiao Long. Yang, this is my cousin-" Hyena, however, was already gone. Roy blinked, looking at where his relative once stood. Yang was also dumbfounded, turning around to see the smaller hunter standing next to Ruby, a cocky grin on his face.

"Say, you look like you're fast. Care to test your speed against the Fastest Thing Alive?" Hyena comically flexed his rather lacking biceps, earning giggles from the younger girl.

"I think I will. Where we racing to?" Ruby smiled, crossing her arms with her own confident smile. Hyena turned her around, pointing to a clock tower about thirty blocks down.

"How about to there and back? And hey, if you win, lunch is on me," Hyena smiled, hopping toe to toe excitedly.

"You're on!" Ruby pointed at her new rival, as the two took ready positions for their race.

"Hyena, you shouldn't be racing-"Roy started, walking over to the pair.

"One." Hyena counted, leaning forward slightly.

"Ruby, you should know better!" Weiss called out, a scowl on her face as her partner only got more ready.

"Two." Ruby said, as she looked at her opponent one last time before looking to her objective.

"Will you listen?" Both Roy and Weiss yelled, before a blast of wind kicked back into their faces, only hearing one last thing before the two runners were off.

"Three!"

The two teens bolted from their place, becoming nothing but blurs of color as they zoomed down the streets at lightning speed. Hyena was slightly ahead, but Ruby was keeping up easily. They raced past people, cars, and posts as they blasted down block after block in a matter of seconds.

Hyena smirked, happy to see the younger girl was so easily keeping up with him. _She's certainly fast…but let's see her keep up with this!_ The hunter started to speed up, slowly moving ahead of Ruby. The younger Huntress gasped, watching as her rival got further ahead.

Then she saw how close the clock tower was.

Trying to slow down, she got ready to turn around when she saw that the older runner wasn't slowing at all. Rather, he was accelerating.

Leaping off the ground, he slammed into the wall of the clock tower, causing a shockwave before he rocketed off directly back the way he came at even faster speeds. Ruby stopped, taking off again to try and catch up.

"Are they coming back?" Blake asked, watching with a raised eyebrow for her teammate.

"They better! I swear, when Ruby gets back-"Weiss stomped her heel in anger, while Roy got into a ready stance.

"He's coming," Roy's eyes narrowed, as he crouched down in preparation.

With a wicked uppercut, Roy smashed his fist into Hyena's chin, sending him flying skyward with the combined force of the runner's speed and his own punch's power. Letting out a laughing howl, the lanky hunter flew up into the air. At that moment, Ruby also returned, out of breath and bent over from exhaustion. Jashi, from his perch on Yang's shoulder, looked straight up, watching the other runner's flight.

"Ruby!" Weiss glared at her teammate, who was still recovering from her sprint. Meanwhile, Roy stood with a clenched fist as his cousin landed on his back behind him. Turning around, Roy crossed his arms.

"Hyena, what did I tell you about being polite with new people?" Roy asked calmly, as the speedster bounced back to his feet with seemingly no injury at all.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But you-"Hyena put emphasis on the 'you', before rubbing his jaw tenderly. "-don't have to let loose like that on my face."

"Would you rather I do it like Grandfather?" Roy raised his eyebrow, as Hyena's eyes turned to pinpricks.

"Nope! No, that's…good. Egh." Hyena made a face, which made Roy chuckle. The two looked over, seeing that Weiss was giving Ruby an earful. The green-clad hunter raised an eyebrow as he watched the heiress, nudging his cousin with an elbow.

"You uh, want to break that up?" Hyena looked to his cousin expectantly, who started to approach the two carefully.

"Weiss, that's enough for now." Roy smiled, as the heiress glared at him for a moment. Letting out a sigh, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as Ruby sped off to her sister. "We should be moving. Hyena, did you know Grandmother Garnet's in town?"

Letting out an excited gasp, he flashed over to his cousin with an elated expression. "Granny Garnet, ohmygoshIcantEVEN…"Roy watched his cousin go ballistic around him, the hyperactive speedster bouncing instantly from spot to spot rambling on in an incoherent stream of consciousness. The purple-clad hunter took his cousin by the shoulder, stopping his rant mid-word.

"Let's just get going, shall we?" Roy asked, met by rapid nodding.

"I was wondering why Sis told me to come to Vale, but now I know!" The group departed, now headed in the direction of the shop.

"Oh, Aloe's in town?" Roy asked, while Hyena walked backwards to face his cousin and Jashi climbed back onto the armored hunter's shoulder.

"Yeah, she's got a nice shop downtown selling those nice flowers and stuff." Hyena answered, his attention slowly turning to Jashi. "I see Jashi made it."

"Yes, I was quite relieved to see he made it," Roy nodded, as the cat nudged him on the ear.

Hyena nodded happily, as his eyes turned to Pyrrha.

"Hey, you're that one girl…uh, hold on, I know this one…"Hyena started snapping his fingers, trying to remember her name with a bit of strain.

"My name's Pyrrha, it's nice to meet you," The redhead gave him a smile, while the boisterous hunter fell backwards in a faux revelation.

"That's the one! Now, is that spelled with a 'K'?" Hyena smirked, as Pyrrha looked at him confused, just as Jaune and Ren did beside her.

"Uh…"Pyrrha looked to her teammates, who were just as lost on the hunter's sense of humor.

"It's so silent, it's not even there?" The hunter quipped, as Nora then got the joke, letting out a snort before laughing.

"There we go. Thought I lost you all there," The hunter chuckled to himself, though he composed himself quickly. He hopped back over to his cousin, and into a conversation on hunting…

 **A short time later…**

"Should I give them the ol' talk about Granny Garnet?" Hyena was bouncing on his heels beside his cousin, while the more reserved hunter walked normally.

"If you must," Roy replied with a sigh, while Weiss gave him a look of confusion.

"Okay, boys and girls!" Hyena hopped to the front of the group, stopping the group in their tracks. "And Weiss!" That statement was met with a 'Hey!' and a scowl from the heiress.

"I'm gonna give you all the three rules to follow before we go in there." Hyena pointed behind him, directly to the shop on the corner of the street across from their position. The red-brick building was a two-story shop with quaint windows with dark-brown shutters outside them. Over the door was the word 'Hibachi', followed by the name Garnet de Chasse.

"One, never call her by her first name only, she likes the title 'Grandmother', worked hard to get there." Hyena held out his thumb as the first digit as he counted his rules. Pyrrha smiled at his humor, and the other teenagers nodded.

"Two, say 'please' and 'thank you', be polite and all that jazz, looking at you, Weiss," Hyena called out, while the heiress only crossed her arms in annoyance.

"And three…" Hyena smirked, and at that moment, a man was thrown through one of the windows of the restaurant onto the sidewalk, landing roughly on his back on the glass. All in company except for Roy and Hyena reacted similarly, with their eyes turning to pinpricks and their faces shifting to that of surprise.

"Never insult the food, or the cook."

"And stay out, ye filthy lout!" A woman's voice, heavy with a Scottish accent, called out from the window as the unfortunate man groaned back in response. The group of ten walked past the man on the sidewalk into the restaurant, quickly filing into the building. Once inside, they were met with a darkened room, the lights dim and intimate. A bar sat to their right, stretching out along the wall. Down a few steps was the main dining area, where dozens of metal tables with settings for large groups were placed. The place's aesthetic was primarily Oriental, but had some strangely Celtic motifs along the walls and in the paintings which dotted the red walls.

"Elroy!" Alden called out, standing up from a seat at the bar along with a younger girl. The girl had shoulder length blonde hair which had bright red tips, and a pine-green pair of eyes. Her legs were long and slender, just as the rest of her body was. She wore a dark green dress which cut off mid-calf, accented by red and gold specks along the edge which seemed to spiral around her like leaves in the wind. Her greaves were a dark-brown leather, covering her legs and connecting to her boots of the same color. She had a face similar to Hyena's, thin and sharp, but exceptionally more calm; and quite beautiful. Her chest was covered by a white blouse, modestly covering her torso under her dress and came down to just above the elbow. On her hip sat multiple pouches and a sheath holding a rapier-sword with an ornate handle, along with a peculiar handgun.

"Uncle Alden, Cousin Aloe, hello." Alden smiled, while Aloe approached Roy with a small smile.

"Elroy, it's good to see you," Aloe embraced her cousin gently but happily, standing only slightly on her toes to reach around his neck for a hug. Roy returned the embrace heartily, then stepping back.

"Aloe! Oh, it's so good to see you!" Hyena zipped to the front of the group, jumping into his sister's arms while she held him like a child for a moment before dropping him.

"Hyena, what did I tell you about-"Aloe started up, her voice becoming motherly in tone.

"I know, I know. Yeesh, you sound like Mom. Or Elroy here," Hyena jerked his thumb at his cousin, who then smacked him upside the head with an open palm. Aloe giggled quietly to herself, putting a hand over her mouth as her cousins started to quarrel. Looking past the bickering relatives, she walked over to the group of eight who were standing rather awkwardly together in a group.

"You must be Elroy's teams, correct?" Aloe asked calmly, as Jaune stepped forward after being nudged by Ruby.

"Y-Yeah. I'm Jaune, leader of Team JNPR. And this is Ruby, of team…RWBY, hehe," Jaune chuckled nervously, extending a hand towards the reserved huntress.

"Jaune…a pleasure. Though I will assure you now, that you have no need to be nervous. Grandmother is certainly not about to throw one of you out of a window." Jaune was surprised by Aloe's statement, unsure of how she knew about the group's collective fear.

"Hyena always does that, gives that speech to try and trick people. Thinks it's funny somehow," Aloe shook Jaune's hand gently, her grip only felt slightly by the knight.

"Oh…well, that's a relief," Jaune commented, as the group relaxed visibly.

"That's good to hear. Now unless my ears deceive me…" The young woman turned around to see her brother embracing a much older woman who stood behind the bar counter. She wore a dark-red apron over a pale short-sleeve shirt, and cargo pants. Her long graying hair was tied back in a messy bun, her light green eyes alight with joy as she ruffled her grandson's hair. She noticed the group, spotting Elroy in an instant.

"Elroy! Bless me eyes, it's really you!" Grandmother Garnet walked around the bar, taking Roy into a bear hug as the two met.

"It's nice to see you too, Grandmother," Roy smiled happily as his grandmother rested her head for a moment against his cuirass. Garnet stepped back, letting out a content sigh.

"Is this school everything yer mother said it is?" Garnet asked carefully, relieved when her grandson's eyes lit up.

"Yes! I've learned so much since I've arrived! And I made friends!" Roy picked up Nora by her shoulders, whom waved happily to the aged woman in response.

"That's wonderful, lad. Now, how about we work up an appetite, hm? I've got the Ring set up in the basement, for all you kids to work up a sweat." Garnet smiled as Roy and Hyena came together like giddy children.

"Uh, what's the Ring?" Yang asked, nudging Aloe with her elbow.

"It's a mobile, variable-terrain arena that our cousin Octavius built. It's one of the most modern training facilities available, and one I personally have used," Aloe responded, resting a hand on the hilt of her sword. The group moved to the back of the restaurant, while another man took up a spot behind the bar. The group of teens, Alden and Garnet stepped into a large elevator, which descended quickly downwards into the earth.

The elevator made a small 'ding', and the doors opened up to a large colosseum-like structure. The actual arena was a great plain of white tiles, with blue and orange padding on the surrounding walls. On one side of the seating area was a podium which overlooked the arena, next to a pair of ladders to enter the arena from. The roof seemed infinitely high above their heads, a large array of lights casting down their bright glows down onto the whole structure but the actual lights hidden in the blackness. Surrounding the arena was a railing made of some thick glass, with smoothed over rails on the top.

"Hey Granny, this is an awesome setup you got here!" Hyena whistled, lacing his fingers behind his head while he walked in. The other teens shared his sentiment, while Garnet seemed only proud of her property.

"It's a thing a' beauty, it is," Garnet stated, watching as Roy's teammates looked around in awe.

"Ren, look at this!" Nora was sitting in one of the many seats, pulling up the coaster from the side of the seat. Not only was it a table, but it also had a drink holder. The bubbly girl played around with it, while her friend watched with a tense expression.

"Don't worry lad," Garnet rested a hand on Ren's shoulder, gesturing to the seats. "Those things are built out of sturdy stuff, I don't think that the lass will-"Garnet was cut off as the sound of metal being torn from a hinge echoed out, and Nora held a small table in her hands. She gave a nervous laugh, but was met with an uproarious laugh rather than a scolding.

"Ooh, that's great!" Garnet's accent came out in force as she cackled with glee, walking over to the hammer-wielder. "Ya got quite the arm there, lass. I can't wait to see ye in the Ring!" The aged woman clapped her on the shoulder before walking away, leaving Ren with a headache and Nora with a big grin.

"This looks amazing! What do you think, Pyr?" Jaune smiled, looking down into the arena floor, leaning on the railing.

"Yes, it looks like a great place to train. I think we should come here often," Pyrrha replied, meeting the knight's smile with her own. She saw Garnet wave them over, and she started to walk around the arena. Once everyone came over, Garnet turned on the podium screen and a blank screen came up.

"Alright, it's ready. If ye want to fight, hand me yer Scroll, and I'll sign ye into the system," Garnet turned, as Roy and Hyena came straight forward with both of their Scrolls held outward for her.

"Ready to go, Grandmother/Granny!" was the collective response of the two cousins. Garnet gave them a smile, and took their Scrolls. Passing them over the center of the podium screen, their Aura levels and profile pictures came up on opposite sides. Garnet handed their devices back, and the pair leapt over the railing in unison. Jashi took a seat on the podium itself, and Garnet scratched behind his ears gently.

"Sit down, children. This'll be a good match," The aged grandmother smiled as she brought up the shields around the arena, and the two cousins took places across from each other in the circle.

Weiss and Aloe took seats next to each other, the heiress seated next to the rest of Team RWBY, and Team JNPR took seats next to Aloe. The redhead watched Weiss carefully, noting her weapon as well as her facial expression.

"Worried, are you?" Aloe surprised Weiss when she spoke, snapping her out of her own thoughts.

"Oh-no, I'm not," Weiss replied quickly before turning back to the arena.

"They've been training like this for many years, there's no need to concern yourself with his safety," Aloe explained, which caused Weiss to turn to her with a glare.

"Where are you getting this from, exactly?" Weiss replied with more coldness in her voice this time, but Aloe was undeterred.

"Your body language give it away. You're tense, and your eyes get distant when you look at him from here. I noticed you're gripping the armrest rather tightly," Aloe pointed, and Weiss could see that she was indeed holding the chair to the point where her knuckles were paler than usual.

"I…how?" was Weiss' only response.

"My teacher in the art of war gave me lessons on psychology to better my ability to read an opponent," Aloe said, turning back to the arena, leaving Weiss with a more concerned look than before.

"I hope you've been training, Elroy. I ain't going easy today," Hyena gave a cocky grin, stretching his legs out before hopping up to a more lax stance.

"That's amusing, because I was thinking the same thing," Roy replied, drawing his sword from his back.

"Oh-ho! Here comes the bravado!" Hyena jeered, pointing to his cousin.

"It's hardly bravado when the victory is ensured," Roy remarked, which caused Hyena to pause.

"Oh, I am gonna punch you in the face so hard," Hyena said with a more serious look on his face.

"Hey Aloe, is Roy always like this with him?" Yang called over to the redhead, who simply nodded.

"Yes, they've always been rivals, even when they were young," Aloe sighed, thinking happily of days since past.

"Loving the confidence, though," Yang said to herself, before giving out a small tiger growl. She was then met with the open palm of Blake's hand smacking against the back of her head.

"You boys ready?" Garnet called down, and the two hunters nodded to their grandmother. Their Aura levels were displayed on a wall opposite the older woman, and a loud sound of a metal bell went off.

In a flash, the two rushed at each other. Roy brought his sword up in an upward slash, and Hyena slammed his leg down onto the sword with his leg-blades. The two leapt backwards before engaging in a rapid exchange of strikes and blocks. Roy parried one of Hyena's kicks, and stepped in for a slash which was stopped by another oncoming kick. The two cousins were forced backwards by the force of their strikes, and they simply smirked at each other before rushing each other again.

This time, however, Hyena started to dodge every strike Roy went for. Roy went with a horizontal slash, which the speedster back-flipped over. The sword-wielder went for slashes as fast as he could go, but Hyena merely ducked, leapt, or sidestepped around his blade. Jumping away, Roy then growled under his breath.

"Are you taking this seriously, or what?" Roy leapt for an overhead slash, but Hyena slid underneath it. Coming around his cousin, the green-clad warrior rested his fist against his cousin's cheek.

"Just getting started, Elroy," Hyena then drove his knee into Roy's back before stepping in for a hurricane of spinning kicks. At the end of his barrage, Hyena then slammed his foot to the ground, and a blast of wind blasted Roy off his feet, though he caught himself in midair.

"What was that?" Pyrrha asked, looking for what gave off the blast.

"Hyena's weapons, the Sonic Tornado as he called it, has chambers for Dust Charges, explosives which give off blasts of their element. He prefers Wind Dust, though he does own other types of charges. He used a technique which allows him to create a blast around him rather than having to aim the attack," Aloe explained, crossing her arms as the fight resumed.

 _It does seem like a lot of the hunters use Dust…_ Pyrrha noted, turning back to the match before them.

"Huh!" Roy blocked Hyena's kick, but was forced back quite a distance before he stopped.

"Seems like you're slowing down, Elroy!" Hyena called out, before he ran in for another kick to the armored fighter's head. However, his foot came into contact with something else; a solid wall of Dust metal. Losing his balance, he flipped over his cousin who grabbed onto his leg and slammed him into the ground hard. Roy then turned, tossing his cousin back into the center of the arena.

"What?!" Hyena hopped back to his feet, and looked at his cousin before taking a step back. Roy's armor had flared out, and was more rounded than before. His eyes were now a bright gold, as his armor seemed to bulk out even more. He set his sword on his back, and took a ready stance with open hands. Hyena shook his head, and ran at his cousin once more.

Stepping in with rapid kicks, Hyena tried in vain to strike his cousin with an effective attack. Kick after kick after rapid kick, every strike he threw did nothing more than throw off his momentum. Hyena growled as his cousin started to move in, albeit much slower than usual. Leaping with both feet forward, he then fired off both Charges into Roy's crossed arms. The gale merely blasted off to the sides, and Roy let out a yell as he stomped through it.

The speedster was running out of options, and with a quick look to his Aura, energy levels.

"Having problems, cousin?" Roy smirked, his eyes changing back to purple as his armor reverted back to its base form.

"Gotcha!" Hyena stepped in, but Roy moved out of the way and delivered a wicked knee to the green-clad hunter's stomach.

"Gah! What the-"Hyena had to stop again, when he saw his cousin's eyes. Bright green, like his own. Roy's armor was far more streamlined, and had small fins coming from the outside of his forearms and shin-guards. Roy drew his sword, and took a ready stance before stepping in. Hyena's eyes widened as he moved out of the way. "You're-"

"I may not be as fast, and my senses may not be on par, but this is more than enough to settle the field," Roy replied, as Hyena was knocked back by a strike from Plum Blossom.

Hyena was then forced onto the defensive, as Roy was now able to keep up with his movements far easier than before. Hyena blocked a strike with his greaves, but was forced to jump backwards from the oncoming attacks. Flipping off the arena walls, Hyena got around Roy but was unable to throw a strike in time before Roy turned around to block it. Leaping out of the way of an overhead slash, Hyena then unhooked his revolvers.

"Right, here we go…"Hyena flipped his guns in his hands, aiming both at his cousin. Firing off two shots, he forced Roy to roll out of the way before the two bullets hit him. However, the two shots exploded in a mess of fire and lightning behind him, launching him further than he anticipated and he landed awkwardly on his back.

Roy bounced back onto his feet, and he took a more defensive stance as his cousin aimed at him. The two stared each other down, waiting for the other to move. Roy slowly angled his sword over his head, pointing it at Hyena. The two paused, and the spectators took a hesitant breath as the cousins tried to anticipate the other's move.

The fight was over in a flash.

Hyena fired at Roy first, but Roy dropped to his knee and fired off his sword's rifle. The two revolver shots passed just over his shoulder, while the rifle bullet exploded on Hyena's chest in a blast of fire. The speedster was knocked off his feet, and landed on his back with enough force to knock the wind out of his lungs. Roy rose back up to his feet slowly, before quickly flipping his sword into box form and returning it to his hip.

"Elroy's the winner!" Garnet smiled down on her grandchildren, who were making their way back over. "Good show, lads."

Weiss watched as her paramour walked over with his cousin on his shoulder, her eyes now locked onto him. _That was…impressive. He's improved a lot in the last few weeks._ She smiled, though Aloe was watching her carefully.

"Weiss, what's your opinion on the Faunus?" Aloe asked, catching the attention of the heiress as well as that of Blake.

"I'm sorry?" Weiss asked in response, giving Aloe a leer of annoyance.

"Well, considering how your eyes dilated when you looked at my cousin, I assume you have romantic interest in him. His bloodline happens to include some Faunus, including some of his more favored uncles on the hunter side. I merely wish to see your opinion on them," Aloe stated, a more guarded glean to her eye came as she awaited the answer.

"I have no love for the Faunus, I will tell you that right now," was Weiss' response, before she crossed her arms. Blake's hand twitched in response, her eyes darting away from the two as Aloe stood up.

"I should've expected such a response from a Schnee. Perhaps your prejudice is inherited, like your supposed wealth," Aloe remarked, her eyes now alight in anger. Now Weiss stood up with a fire in her eyes,

"How dare you! I will have you know that my family has worked for a long time to attain their status!" Weiss retorted, her voice rising in response. Garnet merely crossed her arms, shaking her head at the conflict. Hyena came over, resting a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Ladies, maybe instead of tossing bad words at each other, you can go fight it out for a while, and be friends again?" Hyena tried to reason, giving them a smile, though the two fencers merely glared at each other with a growing intensity.

"Very well. I'm not one to bow out of a bout, are you, Schnee?" Aloe turned to Garnet, holding her Scroll out for her.

"Never," was the heiress' response, as she too held her Scroll to the grandmother.

"Roy, I heard that you have Faunus in your family?" Blake asked, as the hunter took a seat next to her.

"Yes, in fact, most of them are respected hunters. They're valued for their higher senses, and we see no reason for the prejudice that exists in other countries." Roy replied, crossing his arms as he watched the two girls enter the arena. "Though Weiss' anger seems trivial to me, I'm sure it's deeper than mere racism," He sighed, as he shook his head.

"Go Weiss!" Ruby yelled out, a giddy smile on her face.

"Ruby, have you even been paying attention to what's been going on?" Yang asked, her arm resting on the back of her sister's chair.

"Nope! I've been watching the fights! Hyena's weapon was so cool! Maybe I should try Wind Dust in Crescent Rose!" Ruby went on to ramble about her beloved scythe, while her older sister could only shake her head in disbelief.

Though Nora was hardly paying much attention on anything but the battles, Ren was keenly observing everyone around him. He noted Blake's reaction to Weiss' comments, and the conversations going on around him. The Zen Master spotted Garnet's expression, one of more concern than anything negative. But the most important thing he saw?

Hyena was nervous.

"She's not going to win this, you know," Pyrrha commented to Jaune, who was watching with more interest than ever.

"What? She's Weiss Schnee, of course she'll win!" Jaune replied, gesturing to the heiress with his hands.

"I feel that Aloe will turn Weiss' anger against her. Jaune, have you ever read The Art of War?" Pyrrha asked, though Jaune shook his head in response. "One of his most important lessons…"

"If your opponent is of ill temper, seek to anger him."

Weiss glared at Aloe, the huntress opposite her giving nothing further than a neutral look. The heiress drew Myrtenaster, and Aloe drew her blade as well. The two swordswomen stood at the ready, awaiting Garnet's call for the battle to begin.

"Ye lasses ready?" Garnet called down, and the two nodded to her.

"I hope you're ready to lose, Aloe," Weiss stated, pointing her blade at the opposing huntress. Aloe pushed her hair behind her ear.

"I honestly doubt that you'll give me much trouble, Schnee," Aloe replied, spurring Weiss to gritting her teeth in anger as the huntress raised her sword slightly.

The bell went off, and the battle began.

 **Well, now that I'm on summer break, I have much more time to write! Hopefully this was enough to please those awaiting a new chapter. Part Two of this mini-arc will be out soon (hopefully), in the meantime, send me ideas for one-shots, shipping, constructive criticism, the like.**

 **Until next time, have a great day/week!**


	9. 9: A Day with Hunters Part 2: Conclusion

**Small note the Guest who left the nice review earlier; Thank you for taking notice of a logical error I did indeed make in an earlier chapter. However, I can't simply say that Aura is my explanation for why neither Roy nor Pyrrha were injured by the shockwave during their duel. However, it is a smaller detail that went unnoticed simply because there was no need to put further thought into it, similar to certain other books, games, and movies where similar events occur where something that should've injured both parties does nothing.**

 **Anyway, I am thankful that you noticed it, and I will try to make battles in the future with a better attention for detail. Like this chapter, for example.**

 **Here's the next chapter; enjoy!**

Chapter 9

The small crowd watched with great anticipation, well aware now of the bitterness between the two fencers. Roy and Hyena watched with the most interest, keenly observing closely. The other teens watched with a different level of interest, as they haven't seen the other hunter in battle yet.

Weiss held her blade at the ready, as she and Aloe moved slowly towards each other. Aloe held the tip of her blade near the ground, while Weiss' was held pointing at an upward angle. The heiress kept a look of determination as the two came close enough to touch each other with their blades.

Then Weiss struck out, going for a swift slash.

This was deflected by a deft movement of Aloe's blade, an upward slash which pushed Weiss' sword just off target. The two entered a fierce and rapid clash of blades, deflecting and striking with no strikes hitting their intended targets. Weiss gritted her teeth in frustration when she saw that Aloe had a disinterested expression on her face. Jumping back, Weiss spun the canisters in her sword until they came onto a yellow crystal. Aloe reached into her pouch, grabbing a canister of a copper-colored mixture of Dust. Opening the pommel of her sword, she pushed it in and closed the pommel back up. Flicking her sword downward, the sword then filled up with Dust, shown through previously unseen runes on the sword.

Weiss thrust forward, and a massive bolt of electricity was sent forward at high speeds. Aloe thrust her sword downward, and a pillar of red stone shot upwards. The pillar took the blast, sending lightning outward from its surface in every direction. Stepping forward, Aloe stomped forward with a heavy foot and a punch into the construct, sending the pillar speeding towards Weiss. The heiress dodged, leaping out of the way and using a hand to spring back to her feet. However, her graceful dodge was interrupted when Aloe grabbed onto her ankle. Whirling around, the hunter tossed the heiress straight upwards, sending her up spiraling out of control.

Preparing her sword, Aloe then leapt after Weiss, readying a slash. Her eyes narrowed in focus as she honed in on her target, who was still spinning.

Weiss arched her back in an attempt to regain control, seeing that Aloe was moving quickly towards her. Creating a glyph above her, she came to a brief stop in midair before leaping downwards at her opponent. The two clashed blades, bringing each other to a stop in the air before blasting from each other to opposite sides of the arena.

"You fight well, Schnee. It seems that behind the name there is a real fighter," Aloe commented, swiping her sword idly to remove the excess Dust left in her sword.

"And behind all that arrogant smarm is a mediocre swordswoman," Weiss retorted, narrowing her eyes bitterly. Aloe chuckled to herself, further baiting the heiress into anger.

"Tell me, Weiss. Does the name 'Viola HearthFire' mean anything to you?" Aloe asked, closing her eyes in thought.

"No, I don't. Care to tell me?" Weiss replied coldly, raising her blade in preparation.

"To give you an idea…do you recognize this?" Aloe sheathed her sword, and surprised Weiss when she took a familiar hand-to-hand combat stance. Right arm cocked backwards, left arm raised in a guard. She blinked, and Aloe dashed forward in an instant. Throwing a fast punch, Weiss was only just able to dodge her. Backing away, Weiss glared at her opponent as she drew her sword once again.

"His mother taught all three of us. And the first rule we're all taught…Never show anyone your full strength unless you're fighting for your life," Aloe smugly raised her blade, though Weiss could only shiver at the sudden coldness in Aloe's voice.

 _None of them are fighting at their best? That can't be right…_ Weiss tried her best to fight the feeling in her chest, a sudden sense of intimidation growing in her mind.

In the stands, both Hyena and Roy had gone silent and pale, knowing that the bystanders around them were now looking at them with wide eyes. Roy swallowed, while Hyena adjusted his vest nervously. Garnet's face didn't change, only her eyes had gone distant in thought.

 _Lass…these games ye play just aren't good for anyone…_

"So, tell me Weiss, what causes your anger towards the Faunus? Is it a personal vendetta? Your parents?" Aloe questioned, when suddenly the heiress rushed her with her sword ready. Aloe deflected this, and swiftly slammed her sword's hand guard into Weiss' stomach.

"Parents, there it is. Father, I'd assume," Aloe continued, while Weiss clutched her stomach in pain. "I'd bet he was ranting about all the White Fang raids on his precious company, wasn't he?" Weiss started to stand back up, and Aloe watched with a cold leer.

Blake gripped down on her chair's armrest, her eyes shifting downwards. She had watched this rather one-sided fight with disgust, but was fully aware of what Aloe was doing. She hadn't expected it to go this far, though…

Roy and Hyena knew that this needed to end soon, whether it be calling the fight off or someone's Aura running out. Roy saw Hyena tapping his armrest, and then he gave a tilt of his head once Roy had his eyes on him. The two got up, and moved from their seats to where Garnet stood.

"Grandmother, how long will you let this go?" Roy stepped up first, whispering in a low tone.

"Granny, I know she needed the lesson, but this is-"Hyena spoke up, but Garnet raised her hand slowly.

"Weiss has this, lads. Aloe's forgetting her own training, see…" The sage woman pointed, and the two hunters' eyes widened when they saw that Weiss had a glyph created behind Aloe, floating behind her.

"Aloe…That's enough," Weiss stood to full height, her sword held at her side.

"What?" Aloe's eyes narrowed, her hand becoming tense on her own blade.

"I understand what you're trying to teach me. If I defeat you, I'll overcome my anger…and I'll forgive the Faunus. You wanted me to get past it, and I have. Now let me show you the real gap between us," Weiss raised her free hand, and a glyph blasted her towards Aloe. Slamming her with a thrust, she smashed Aloe into the glyph behind her. Caught in the symbol, Aloe was caught vulnerable when Weiss slashed with a blast of ice Dust that sent her flying across the arena. Aloe caught herself with a hand, but her eyes widened when she saw Weiss directly in front of her.

Met with a rapid onslaught of slashes, Aloe could only do her best to take the punishment in her stance. The huntress was blasted backwards with lightning, and Weiss took the moment to recover. She took up her stance, sword ready. Aloe rose from the ground, her hair slightly disheveled. Her white blouse was in tatters, revealing a cuirass of pure red metal. Without the blouse, it was shown that the lower half of her dress was actually connected to the armor plate. Moving her foot forward, she then showed that her legs were also covered in this red armor.

Aloe then reached to the back part of her belt, grabbing a canister of Dust that was almost blood-red in color. Slamming it into her sword, she flicked her blade downwards, and her sword changed to that color.

Garnet's eyes widened slightly, and she began to reinforce the shields on the arena walls. Roy and Hyena both spotted the movement as well, and both seemed to instinctively run for cover. Hyena jumped away, hiding his face using Blake's legs, holding onto her calves tightly. Roy jumped behind Pyrrha and Nora, holding his hands over his head.

Aloe then flared her Aura into the entirety of her sword, her eyes seeming to glow with a fiery energy. Slashing her sword rapidly in the air, she created a strange symbol in the air as dark energy started to form in a circle in front of her, honing in on Weiss. The heiress readied herself, watching carefully. Once the symbol was created, Aloe then created a crosshair with two final slashes, directly over Weiss. Pulling up her pistol from her hip, Aloe then lined up her shot.

"Comet Gun!" Aloe called out as she pulled the trigger. When the bullet pierced the glyph, the whole thing seemed to bend with the bullet, becoming a massive blast of red energy as Aura and Dust came together in a massive blast. True to its namesake, the 'Comet' sped towards Weiss in a blinding mass of light. Creating a glyph, Weiss then struck her sword downwards, creating a massive wall of ice as the comet smashed into it.

The bystanders were met with the massive shockwave, watching the spectacle protected but amazed by the sheer power of the attack. Pyrrha's eyes went wide at the massive explosion, and Jaune started screaming like…a small girl. Nora started grinning widely at the sight, while Ren seemed only to get slightly nervous. Ruby and Yang let out loud cheers for Weiss, while Blake's eyes were as wide as dinner-plates at the sight.

As the dust settled, Aloe looked at the wall of ice, not seeing anything past the now shattered ice. Her eyes then lost all their confidence when she saw the formation of glyphs all around her. She gave a small noise, and turned around. Weiss stood there, with a confident smile and sword ready.

"Go ahead. My Aura can take it," Aloe took up a defensive stance, a defeated smile coming over her face.

In an instant, Weiss raced by her, becoming a hurricane among her glyphs. Aloe's Aura began to take massive hits, each attack becoming more powerful in succession. Weiss then came in front of Aloe, whose eyes widened when she saw the blast of electricity collide with her cuirass. She was knocked off her feet, and the wind was knocked from Aloe's chest as she hit the ground again. Aloe laughed slightly when she heard Garnet's voice.

"Weiss wins! Good show, lasses," Garnet smiled down at the girls, as Weiss helped Aloe back up to her feet.

"You know, it's been a long time since I last lost a battle," Aloe smiled, while Weiss sheathed her sword.

"Well, then we'll have to do this more often," Weiss remarked, causing Aloe to laugh a bit. Aloe gave her a more serious look, before she spoke again.

"Will you give up your hatred for the Faunus? Truly?" Weiss nodded, and Aloe gave her a wary look.

"I'll try. It'll take…some work, Aloe," Weiss looked down, and Aloe rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing good comes from nothing, Weiss. I'll help you, and I'm sure Elroy will be of most help," Aloe nodded to her, and Weiss did the same.

In the stands, everyone was silent. This silence was broken by Ruby and Nora getting up and yelling. Pyrrha, Ren, and Blake seemed to visibly relax when the two started cheering. Yang simply watched her younger sister with a smile, and Jaune watched Nora with a tinge of fear for himself.

Blake then remembered that Hyena was on her legs, and looked down at the hunter. She moved her legs, and Hyena peered around her calves with wide eyes. "Did we die?" Hyena asked as he looked around. He looked up at Blake, who was looking at him with a mix of annoyance and amiable curiosity. Nervously chuckling, Hyena slid out from underneath the chairs, and dropped himself onto a chair next to the black-haired girl. Blake rolled her eyes, but had a tinge of pink in her cheeks.

"Is it over?" Roy rose from behind the seats, his hands still over his head. Pyrrha and Nora turned around, the Spartan resting her hand on Roy's shoulder sympathetically.

 **A few hours later…**

The remainder of their time was well spent; after everyone else took turns in the Ring, they took part in a massive meal, cheerfully enjoying the food and company through into the evening. When everything was said and done, the two groups had to say goodbye. Aloe, Alden, and Hyena stood opposite Roy and his teams at the Bullhead docks.

"Well, we'll be seeing you, Elroy," Alden smiled, holding his nephew by the shoulders.

"Certainly, Uncle. I'll have more skins to sell, so I'll be by the shop often," Roy beamed back, before turning to the Bullhead.

Before the two groups departed, Aloe pulled Blake aside for a small chat.

"Blake, I had a request of you," Aloe started, the two girls standing apart from the others at the railing overlooking the bay of Vale.

"What is it?" Blake didn't show much interest, but was inwardly curious to a fault as to what the huntress could need. Aloe held out a piece of paper towards her, which she slowly took.

"Please call this number at your earliest convenience. Tell him Aloe said 'Trust me'," Aloe replied, her voice was calm, but her eyes were serious.

"Who..?" was Blake's response, though she then saw the name on the piece of paper above the Scroll number; 'Hyena'.

"I'll be seeing you later, yes?" Aloe gave her a smile, and Blake nodded slowly.

"Yeah…" Blake muttered as she put the paper in her pocket, and joined her friends on the Bullhead.

As the nine friends flew back to Beacon, Blake stared at the paper she was handed. Her brow furrowed as she tried to understand the reasoning behind it. _What does Aloe want from this..?_ Blake couldn't see the reasoning, and didn't even notice Roy as he walked across the Bullhead and sat next to her.

"Aloe gave you something?" Roy looked over her shoulder, spotting Hyena's name on the sheet. He nodded in understanding, and a knowing smile came over his face.

"I would call him tomorrow, before he takes off again. He's like the wind, he comes and goes without warning," Roy said wistfully, looking away with a dreamy smile. Blake watched him with curiosity, but shook her head as she looked back at her hands.

 **The next day…**

Blake sat in the library by herself, reading quietly to herself. Her mind was aloof as she turned the page, and her mind recalled the events from the day before. The black-haired girl pulled out the small tab of paper, and let out a sigh before she pulled out her Scroll. Typing in the number, she made the call. There was only one ring on the other end before it was picked up, and a chipper voice came on from the other end.

"Fastest Thing Alive speaking. Who's this?" Blake rolled her eyes at Hyena's statement, but spoke up.

"It's Blake. Roy's teammate?" On the other end, Blake heard what sounded like loud static before Hyena replied.

"Oh yeah! What's up, Blake?" Under Hyena's voice could be heard the sounds of other people talking in what sounded like another language.

"Well-Aloe said 'Trust me'. What does that mean?" There was a silence on the other end before Hyena made a small laugh.

"I'll tell you when I get there. Where are you?" Hyena asked, and Blake made a face. _What, is he going to come here?_

"I'm at Beacon, in the library, second floor," Blake answered, and the sounds of static went wild for about twenty seconds.

"Whatcha reading there, Blake?" Blake let out a yelp when rather than hearing Hyena through the phone, his voice was coming from right beside her. Indeed, the hunter was leaning right over her shoulder. She fell backwards, but Hyena caught her and set her chair upright. She stared at him in bewilderment as he looked over her book, his thumb holding her page.

"Ninjas of Love, huh? Love the series, just can't stand how slow Hanji is to realize that the girl's in love with him," Hyena smiled, though Blake swiped her book back with a pout. "So, Aloe thinks you should know," Hyena gave her a smile, resting his chin in his hands and resting his elbows on the table in front of Blake.

"Know what, exactly?" Blake turned her head slightly, a bit nervous as to what he could mean.

"Can you run your hand through my hair, please?" Hyena held his head towards the black-haired girl, who backed away. "Go ahead," Hyena's voice took a less playful tone for a moment, and Blake stopped.

 _Fine…_ She rolled her eyes, and slowly ran her hand into his hair. Her eyes went wide when she felt something else.

"Ears..?" She whispered, almost retracting her hand in fear.

"What's left of them, at least. Had them…removed at a young age. Shame, 'Fastest Faunus Alive' has a better ring to it," Hyena chuckled, but his voice took a tone of melancholy for only a moment. "If I had to guess, Aloe didn't want you to be alone."

"Alone?" Blake asked, taking her hand back slowly as she tried to understand what was going on.

"You're not the only one running away from their problems. And…you're not the only one hiding in plain sight, either." Hyena gave her a smile, though she could only sit in shock. Hyena raised his hands defensively before sitting down next to her.

"Don't worry, I can hold secrets. Just call me if you need someone to talk to, okay?" Hyena asked, holding his face mere inches away from Blake's own. She nodded dumbly, and Hyena kissed her on the forehead.

"Later!" And in the blink of an eye, Hyena was gone. Blake leaned back into her chair, her mind spinning and her heart pounding like a drum. Her hand unconsciously went to her bow, and she came back slowly to reality once her fingers felt the fabric.

"I…" Blake got up, walking out of the library in a hurry with her book in her hand. Unbeknownst to her, Roy sat on the opposite side of the bookshelf, his eyes distant but wide in focus. His teammate passed by him without notice, but Roy sat there in quiet contemplation without moving from his seat.

 _I guess I'm not the only one with demons instead of skeletons in my closet…_

 **Well, this was shorter than I wanted it, but at the same time, I think it's a good way to move into the next arc! And, for the sake of all you shippers out there, I will be writing some ship-worthy chapters next! I will be doing three chapters, for the top three voted Ships, starting with third and going to first! If anyone wants to leave suggestions for these chapters (maybe what I could try?) please leave them in the reviews!**

 **As always, have a great day, and hope you enjoyed!**


	10. 10: Blake and the Hunter

**Well, the power of democracy demands it; Here is the beginning of the Ship Arc (I guess I'll call it?), a collection of ship-chapters! Starting from third place…it's actually a tie. So, I'll be doing two chapters for third place, one for each Blake and Pyrrha. This will be Blake's Chapter, followed by Pyrrha, then the second and first place votes!**

Chapter 10

Roy became known for many things, despite the short amount of time his peers have known him. His skill and mental capacity was impressive, and his looks won over many of the female population of the Academy. However, the one thing he was known the most for;

He was fearless.

Regardless of what it was, he never showed the smallest amount of timidity in anything he took part in. Whether it be in the combat ring or out on the occasional field trip, it seemed that nothing could inspire fear in the hunter. Perhaps it was in the unwavering confidence he gave off during sparring matches, or the fearless way he took on Grimm with his bare hands in Professor Port's class. Everyone knew of his undaunted attitude towards battle, and practically everything else, and Roy was well aware of the notion.

Knowing this, Blake was surprised when one night, she awoke from hearing Roy's labored breathing late into the night. Without moving, she looked over at Roy's hammock. The hunter, bare-chested and standing in his pajama bottoms, was sitting over the side of his hammock clutching his chest with his hand. His eyes were wide, distraught with pure fear behind his pupils. Roy stood up, silently pacing before returning to his seat. After calming down, the hunter laid back down, and after what seemed like a long time, he fell back asleep.

The black-haired girl stared upwards into the bunk above her, her mind processing what she'd just seen. _Did he have a nightmare..? He doesn't seem like one to have those…_ Blake pondered the thought for only a few moments, deciding to ask him herself the next morning… 

**The next day…**

At breakfast, Teams RWBY and JNPR sat together once again before another day of classes. Pyrrha and Jaune studied for an exam over pancakes, while Yang and Ruby played catch with an apple. The only two people who weren't busy with anything besides their morning meal were Blake and Roy. The two black-haired students ate in relative silence next to each other, though their silence were for different reasons.

"How are you, Roy?" Blake asked quietly, setting her fork down on her tray.

"I'm…doing well, Blake," Roy hesitated before answering, giving her a smile which she could see right through. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Woke up in the middle of the night, but not for too long," Blake replied, which caused Roy to stop a moment over his breakfast before he swallowed his food.

"Oh. That's a shame, to not get a good night's sleep," Roy took another bite, going back to his meal.

"I believe you would know," Blake's answer caused the hunter to nearly choke, as he looked at her warily.

"I saw that you had a nightmare. Would you…like to talk about it?" Blake asked, bringing her hands together tentatively. Roy stood up quickly, taking his tray with him.

"Sorry everyone, I have to go. I forgot my book in the dorm," Roy quickly took off, leaving his teammates in a hurry. While his other teammates merely waved goodbye, Blake watched him leave with narrowed eyes. She knew that there was something else bothering him now, but not exactly what. With a goal in mind, the black-haired girl turned back to her teammates, and resumed her day normally until she could talk to him again. 

**Later that day…**

Combat class was the only class where both teams, and consequentially Roy, shared besides certain other classes. Blake sat herself next to Roy, and their teammates sat beside them. Blake watched the now armored hunter waited patiently for his chance at battle, his eyes now focused and absent of those darker emotions she had seen earlier. _He seems to be better…_ The match below ended, and the lights came back on. Glynda Goodwitch came forward from her usual spot near the arena.

"Very good, you two. Now, who's next?" The professor asked, looking to the other students for volunteers. A hand raised, belonging to Blake Belladonna.

"Ah, Ms. Belladonna. Now, to choose your opponent-"Goodwitch started, about to move things on her Scroll for the next match.

"Actually, Professor Goodwitch? May I choose my opponent?" Blake asked, her voice level and calm.

"Who would that be?" Glynda narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the girl with a stern look.

"Roy de Chasse." Blake replied, causing some whispers in the spectators and among her teammates.

"Very well. Mr. de Chasse, will you take this challenge?" Goodwitch asked, turning to the hunter in question.

"Of course, Professor. I'm never one to turn down a challenge," Roy replied, standing up slowly.

As the two walked down to the arena, Blake whispered into her teammate's ear. "If I win, you have to tell me what happened last night," to which Roy gave her a stern look.

"Why would I agree to that?" Roy whispered back, the purple in his eyes alight with a tone of anger.

"Because I challenged you. Didn't you say you're never one to turn down a challenge? Or…do you think you'll lose?" Blake retorted, walking in front of the now stopped hunter. She swayed her hips slightly, taunting the hunter with her flippant tone and coy body language. Roy sighed, and walked with her into the arena.

"I accept your terms, Blake. Do not expect an easy battle," Roy stated, walking to the opposite side of the arena from her as he did so. Blake watched him with a serious look, but had a small smile growing on her face.

"I never do, Roy." She whispered to herself, bringing Gambol Shroud up. Drawing her sword, Blake's mind focused as Roy drew his own blade from his back. The two teammates met each other's eyes, bringing their swords up to the ready. Blake and Roy's Aura levels were brought up on the wall between them, and the lights turned off over the spectators.

"Begin!" Goodwitch called out, as the buzzer rang.

Blake steeled herself, and rushed towards the hunter. Roy brought his sword up into a defensive stance, and blocked the strike from her blade. The two locked blades for a second, before Blake back-flipped away from him. Dashing back forward, she began to slash at rapid speeds. Roy blocked or parried each strike, their eyes locked in an intense stare as they worked to feint the other.

Using a clone, Blake leapt over Roy, and the two exchanged slashes as she flew overhead. The moment her feet hit the floor, she created another clone, passing by Roy before jumping into another attack. Roy parried her strike, and returned with a slash at her chest. Before it could connect, Blake jumped backwards out of a clone, and Roy slashed clear through it. Blake aimed the pistol in her sword at her opponent, firing off a few rounds as she retreated backwards.

Roy deflected the first two bullets, but was met by an explosion of ice in the third bullet. Roy's sword was engulfed by the ice, flying out of his hands and across the arena floor behind him. Rather than moving for his weapon, Roy sprinted at Blake. Caught off guard, Blake went for a horizontal slash. From Roy's left arm sprung the three short blades, which he angled to catch the sword's blade. Yanking outwards, he tossed her sword away from them.

Blake looked towards her weapon as it skidded away from her, and Roy took that moment as an opportunity. First throwing a low kick, Roy stepped into three quick punches to her torso before he slammed her with a heavy kick to the chest. Blake rolled, popping back onto her feet quickly. Grabbing her blade's sheath, she moved in for another backhanded slash. Roy sidestepped, and grabbed Blake from behind. He performed a suplex, slamming Blake onto her back hard. The force caused her to let go of the other half of her weapon, and it too skittered across the floor of the arena, coming to rest next to the other half.

Roy got back up, and brought his fists up to the ready. Blake's eyes widened, then narrowed as she focused on a way to win this battle. Her eyes honed in on the center of his cuirass, on the internal release on the inside. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a way to get that close, until she settled on the best option; a distraction.

Blake brought up her hands, and she dashed in off the heels of a clone. Roy threw a hook, but his far more nimble opponent was able to weave around his fist. He threw two more punches, each of which Blake was able to sidestep. Roy readied a punch, but was cut off as Blake drew herself directly up to his chest. His eyes were only able to center on the girl before she abruptly kissed him square on the lips. Blake's hand gripped down on the release, and Roy's entire suit of armor began to disengage.

In the stands, both Team JNPR and the remaining three members of RWBY were slack-jawed at Blake's 'maneuver'. While Ruby and Yang were merely red to their ears, Weiss was downright furious. Pyrrha, Jaune and Ren were also red, while Nora was laughing hysterically at Roy's face. The rest of the crowd, too, was erupting in chatter at the insane move and at the implications of it.

And as soon as it had happened, Blake pulled away. Roy stared at her incredulously, until she planted both feet onto his chest and kicked off. As he fell, Roy only then realized what she'd done. Falling onto his back, his armor came undone, and he was forced to jump out of the suit as it collapsed in one heap on the ground. Standing now in his short-sleeved purple shirt and black pants, Roy stood back to full height with a serious glare in his eyes. Blake had retrieved her weapons, now holding her sword and its sheath in her hands.

"That was quite the trick, Blake." Roy reached to his side, grabbing onto the sword he'd left. Pulling hard, he now held Plum Blossom in his right hand with a hard grip. "However, you've made a grave miscalculation in this move. While my defense will definitely be lower now, you may notice a massive increase in my speed and striking power due to the massive drop in weight." Roy took his katana into both hands, and held it towards her.

"I'll manage," Blake retorted, readying her blade in her right hand. Roy's eyebrows rose before he focused, bringing his blade to the ready.

In a flash, both of them dashed forward, clashing blades once again. Blake spun rapidly around Roy, swinging her sword with her ribbon at breakneck speeds. Roy was easily able to deflect the strikes, but was hard pressed to push an attack. Blake swung at his feet, but the hunter leapt over it and raised his sword over his head for an overhead slash. Pulling backwards, Blake caught him in the back with a slash and a bullet. Roy rolled past her, standing back up quickly.

Blake now used both her sword and sheath in tandem, holding her sword in a backhand grip and the sheath in a regular grip. She made quick slashes with both, spinning gracefully around the hunter as she swung precisely. Her attacks weren't connecting, but she could see he was slowing down slightly.

 _I shouldn't take that as a sign I'm winning, though…_ Blake thought, remembering Aloe's comment from before in the Ring.

And as she anticipated, once Blake took a moment to recover some stamina, Roy moved in for an attack. Firing off a bullet for the extra speed, Roy performed a quick-draw, nearly knocking Blake off her feet with the sheer force of his slash. Stepping in, Roy slashed with heavy slashes which Blake could only dodge in fear of having her block broken. Roy slashed, and at the end of his slash, Roy fired off a shot from his rifle. The bullet impacted against Blake's foot, and a gout of wind sent her spiraling until she slammed into the ground on her back. Roy stepped in with a fist, about to land the ending strike, but Blake was slightly faster.

A bullet of fire Dust collided with Roy's chest, fired from Gambol Shroud in pistol form at her hip.

Roy flew backwards, landing hard on his chest as he slid backwards. He let out a groan, and the buzzer rang. Blake looked up at the screen, seeing that they were both very close in Aura. Blake was only a few slices of Aura away from the red, and Roy had only tipped into the red. The black-haired girl let out a heavy sigh, then she picked herself off the floor. Blake looked over at Roy, who had brought himself to a knee next to his armor.

"That was…quite the performance, you two. Let this be a lesson that your opponent may employ…unexpected tactics, to gain an upper hand," Goodwitch spoke, adjusting her glasses as she spoke.

"Roy?" Blake approached the hunter, who now stood in his full suit of armor. The man in question looked at her with a serious look. The two stared at each other for what felt to Blake like an eternity, until Roy let out a small laugh.

"You kiss like a dog...We should practice sometime," Roy flipped his sword into its box form, leaving Blake with a massive blush on her cheeks. 

**That night…**

Team RWBY began to settle in for the night, albeit in a very awkward fashion. Weiss seemed to glare at Blake every time the girl turned her back, giving off the vibes that Weiss was still quite angry about what had happened earlier. Yang laid in her bed with her Scroll, while Ruby read over a textbook. Ruby was the least affected of the team, seeming to pass it off as what Professor Goodwitch said, a 'unexpected tactic', and had no romantic value, like when she gave kisses to her Dad. Blake sat in her bed in her yukata, reading a book to herself while Weiss seemed to angrily brush her hair across from her.

Roy slowly opened the bathroom door, walking over to his hammock in his own pajamas. Jashi hopped from his spot on Roy's usual abode, and rubbed against his legs. Roy held his arm down, and the cat leapt up it onto his bare shoulder. The hunter opened a can of cat food, and held it up to the cat. Jashi took it into his two front paws, holding it in place as he ate ravenously. Roy smiled at his friend, before turning to Weiss.

 _She's not going to let this go until I do something…_ Roy sighed, walking across the dorm to the heiress. Yang turned her eyes from her Scroll, watching with mild curiosity. Blake too watched, though far less obviously than her partner.

"Weiss? Are you alright?" Roy asked, though the heiress huffed and turned away from him with a pout.

"No, I am not, thank you very much." Weiss crossed her arms, looking away from the hunter as much as possible. "How could you just let something like that happen, Roy?"

"I don't let things happen, Weiss. I was caught off guard." As Roy spoke, he sat gently down on the bed next to Weiss. His shoulder touched hers, and she sat up slightly, though she still refused to look at him. "I know it upsets you that she kissed me, and I'm sure she's sorry for your plight." Weiss turned her head to see Blake, who nodded with a guilty expression on her face. The heiress sighed, and turned herself to Roy, though she still looked angry.

Jashi now took this time to curl up in Weiss' lap, purring contently as he got comfortable on her legs. The heiress let out a laugh, and smiled. Letting out a sigh, she looked at Roy, who had an honest glean to his eyes.

"I'll try my best to not let it happen again, Weiss. I promise," Roy pledged, to which Weiss could only smile at.

"Alright, Roy." Before he could leave, Weiss grabbed the hunter by the neck, bringing him to eye level with her. "It better not, okay?" The suddenly stern tone in her voice scared both Jashi and Roy, the former leaping away with a small noise and the hunter's eyes widening. He nodded quickly, and she then gave a coy smile before kissing him on the forehead. Roy walked dumbly back to his hammock, while Jashi took refuge next to Ruby on her bed.

"Good night, everyone," Roy said as he turned off the light for the whole room.

"Good night," the four girls replied, though only three went to sleep. Blake waited quietly, watching for the sign. As their teammates fell asleep, Roy looked around silently before standing out of his hammock. Blake got out of bed, following her teammate out into the hallway. Looking to Yang's electronic clock before leaving, she saw that it was nearly midnight. Opening the door silently, the two left the door just a hair open behind them as they walked down the hall to the intersection.

"I suppose you want your answers, Blake," Roy had his arms crossed as he leaned on the wall of the hall.

"That's not what this is about, Roy. I wanted to know so I could help," Blake replied, resting her hand on Roy's shoulder. The hunter walked away, coming up to a window which looked out to the bright moon above.

"Blake…it's my mother," Roy spoke quietly, looking out with a sad look in his eyes.

"Roy..?" Blake's eyes were wide, softly walking in her bare feet towards him.

"It's…that night. When she…gave her life for mine," Roy was nearly whispering, but Blake heard every word he said. "My uncle, known now as the Traitorous Rat, had some vision in his head that children like me…those of mixed blood of HearthFire and Hunters was some kind of abomination. He came to kill me…" He set his hands on the window sill, while Blake could only stand there in silence behind him.

"She took his knife through her heart. My father cut off his arm in response, but he was able to escape. She was dead, and nothing could change that." Roy spoke softly, his eyes threatening to well up. "My father went on a rampage…creating what is now called the Wolf's Territory, or…the Death Forest." Blake gasped, remembering the horrible stories of the massacre.

"Since then…I had to live with the memories. Of both my mother's death…and of the destruction in my father's wake. It seems that I only have these night terrors on nights where the moon is bright…just like it was then." Roy turned back to face Blake, and she could see a single tear had trailed down his cheek.

"The only thing I've ever feared has lived in me. That feeling of helplessness is the worst thing I've ever known, Blake. My nightmares force me to remember that feeling, where I can't do anything but watch the terror take hold in me." Roy held his chest over his heart, clutching it tightly. His eyes went wide, when Blake wrapped her arms around his torso.

"It's okay, Roy. I'm…here for you." Blake whispered, holding him tightly as she rested her head against his chest. Roy slowly moved his arms, holding her gently against him.

"How do I let someone else fix something inside of me, Blake?" Roy spoke softly, his chin resting gently on her head, just ahead of her bow.

"You don't," Blake replied just as quietly. "I'm here to help you find the way yourself."

The two stood in silence in each other's arms for what felt like forever, feeling each other's heartbeats under the pale light of the moon. Blake moved her head to look up at Roy, and Roy moved to look down at her. She gave a small smile, which he returned.

"So, do I really kiss like a dog?" Blake said, causing Roy to laugh.

"No, but that was quite rough and rushed, Blake." Roy replied, as he then realized how close they really were. "But…it wasn't the worst I've had."

"Enough to try one more time?" Blake asked, her chest welling up with feelings. Roy's face grew slightly red, as the black-haired girl gave him a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"Well…as long as Weiss doesn't know about this one…" Roy said, and Blake chuckled quietly. Tentatively, Roy closed the remaining distance, and their lips met softly once more. They stayed together for a few moments more, the heat in their bodies growing and the feelings in their chests finally beating out; their hearts were pounding from the anticipation. Pulling away, they looked at each other almost embarrassed.

"That was…much better, Blake." Roy remarked, while Blake could only blush.

"Y-Yeah…" Blake turned away slightly, her eyes looking down in thought.

"What's wrong?" Roy turned her back to him, and she looked up at him.

"It's…just that…I don't know if we could manage something like this. At least while the rest of the team still…" Blake cut herself off, looking away from him.

"I know, Blake. And…I'm uncertain as well. How could I have a relationship without causing strife within the team?" Roy looked down for a moment, before stepping back towards her. "I guess…I'll just have to find where my heart truly lies. It may take a while." Blake turned back to him, now with a sad smile on her face.

"Well…I'll be here for you, as a friend, in case you need help on that journey." Blake took his cheek in her hand, which he gently moved into. "You'll find who you belong to, Roy. I know it. And anything else that may trouble you…we'll be here for you." Blake felt a pang in her heart, knowing her own hypocrisy, but her mind was interrupted as Roy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in.

"You should know that such a promise goes both ways, Blake. If you ever need to talk to someone, please come to me…or anyone on our team." Roy replied, and Blake nodded into his shoulder.

"Now, we should get to bed. Tomorrow's our workout day, we require a good night's sleep." Roy said heartily, leading the way back to their dorm. Walking in silently, they saw that no one had awoken during their absence. Making their way back to their bed/hammock, they both fell into a peaceful night's sleep. 

**The next day…**

In Beacon Academy's workout facilities, Team RWBY and Roy went to work at their weekly workout. Weiss and Blake ran across an open area of the gym, doing laps at rapid speeds in white and black shorts and tank tops, respectively. Ruby ran on a treadmill, working on her endurance in an amusingly goofy workout outfit in her colors. Yang lifted weights, benching massive dumbbells in a pair of black shorts and a yellow top. However, Roy was pulling the eyes of most people, as he was squatting all of the weights at a station, while wearing only a pair of black gym shorts which had a purple stripe going up the side.

After a while, Blake and Roy ran next to each other on treadmills. All that day, Blake had been thinking that the night before might had been a dream, some vivid hope in her subconscious. Roy hadn't said anything about the night before at all, and seemed to be his regular, confident self.

"Don't worry, Blake." Blake looked over at Roy, who had just spoken. "I won't say anything about last night. It'll be our secret," Roy winked, before hopping off the treadmill, walking away towards a punching bag. Blake seemed to run absentmindedly, before a small smile grew on her face.

 _I guess he's more than a nice guy after all…_ She mused, continuing her workout in a particularly bright mood. 

**Okay, hopefully those Panther shippers (really the best name for this ship I could come up with) are sated by that chapter. It was honestly some of my favorite writing, from the idea itself, which I've done for this fic. Next up will be Pyrrha (I got nothing for a ship name), and that'll be coming soon.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this, and as always, please leave constructive criticism, ideas, or if you like this stuff in the reviews!**

 **Have a great day!**


	11. 11: A Night Out

**I got a really great review recently, which was massive motivation to write this chapter as soon as possible. And they asked some questions, and I have answers!**

 **In regards to the polls, I figured they'd be closed after a certain number of chapters or if a gap in the votes occurred (like if one lucky gal had at least fifty percent of the votes). But for a chapter count until I close them, I'm not sure. I guess if there was a massive shift in the votes, I'd have to keep them open longer, maybe even past this Arc and into the next.**

 **Talking about a harem, I'm not sure. I'd prefer to keep it to one ship, but honestly, if the votes are close (like, indexes of one), I'll open up to it. It really depends on you guys and what you want for that stuff. While I have my preferences, I opened it up into a democracy, and it will stay that way, damn it!**

 **Sorry, a bit of pent-up energy there.**

 **And my personal vote (which doesn't count ): ) changed from the beginning to now. Originally, I considered not evening doing a poll and shipping him with Yang. However, that turned out to be a bad idea for a ship at the beginning. But now I couldn't really put a solid vote, because I really liked writing his interactions with many of the girls (Rabbit and the Wolf is my sank OTP).**

 **And sorry I can't add so many votes to Pyrrha, so hopefully a chapter for the ship will get you those votes from those on the fence!**

Chapter 11

Pyrrha stood in an open room, the walls and floor padded for hand-to-hand combat rather than weapon combat. She felt different, standing bereft her armor and instead in a tight red tank-top and black shorts with her symbol emblazoned on the left side of her rear, and a pair of red and gold sneakers. Roy paced patiently opposite her, wearing only a pair of black and purple gym shorts and a pair of purple sneakers. There was something electrifying to her in the focused glean in the hunter's eyes which made the Spartan all the more eager to enter the ring with him.

He and she were equals, on and off the battlefield.

Bringing her hands up, Roy too took up a ready stance. The two fighters approached cautiously, watching the other's eyes carefully for the first strike. Pyrrha's hands stayed open, prepared to catch a strike. Roy stayed just as ready, keeping his stance perfect as he creeped closer to his rival.

Like a wolf pouncing its prey, Roy moved swiftly for a heavy jab. Pyrrha moved his attack to the side, stepping in with a punch of her own. Roy was quick to recover, and was able to move his head out of the way and switch into a punch from his left. Pyrrha moved backwards for only a moment, before she stepped in with a low kick into a punch to his chest. Roy staggered backwards, and Pyrrha moved in for another punch. Roy's eyes seemed to flash, as he immediately recovered. Grabbing her arm, he fell backwards, launching her away with his feet as he rolled on his back.

Pyrrha was sent tumbling, but she caught herself with her hands, moving seamlessly into a backhand spring. Landing gracefully on her feet, she shot her opponent a smirk as they both brought themselves back to their ready stances. Roy shook his head slightly, a small smile on his face as well.

 _She fights well…_ Roy thought to himself, before they entered another round of battle.

Roy rushed her, leaping up into the air for a series of kicks. Pyrrha put her arms up, blocking each successive kick as he spun through the air, throwing three kicks before he came back down to the ground. Touching the ground, he shifted right into a heavy punch with enough force to knock the Spartan backwards. Pyrrha came to a stop, and ran back into the fray.

The redhead moved for a punch, but fell under Roy's guard with her feint, moving into a spinning volley of her own kicks. Tripping him up, he wasn't able to hit the ground before taking both of Pyrrha's feet in a powerful kick to his side. Following him up into the air, Pyrrha grabbed onto him with her legs, spinning him multiple times in the air before sending him flying into the floor hard.

Roy hit hard on his back, popping back onto his feet. He looked around for his rival, only looking up in time to block Pyrrha's kick from above. Leaping from his arms, the redhead flipped away before stepping back into the fray.

Pyrrha and Roy entered a furious clash, constantly attacking, blocking, and then countering. Neither could make a decisive move as they threw their strikes only to be blocked. The air around them seemed to be electric, charging up for one of them to lose their guard.

Roy deflected Pyrrha's kick, and he saw the opportunity. Charging forward, he grabbed ahold of the Spartan. Running with her in tow, he then slammed her onto her back. Holding her down with his weight, he raised his hand for a strike. Pyrrha's eyes narrowed in determination, and she was able to throw him off with a kick upwards. The hunter fell onto his side, and was unable to get up before his opponent was able to pin him. Straddling him, she moved for a strike of her own while she had him pinned to the floor.

Roy, seeing no other way out, charged his Aura in his fist, and pushed it hard against her abdomen.

The force of the Aura-charged strike sent Pyrrha reeling, as the Spartan was knocked off and onto her back with decisive force. She rolled, getting back to her feet quickly. Roy stood back up, the two now breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Roy had a small grin as his rival raised her hands once more.

"Good thing I learned that trick," Roy commented as the two circled each other slowly.

"After last time, I would assume you would try it," Pyrrha winked, as Roy cringed slightly at the memory of her Aura charged strike which accidentally landed on his 'family heirlooms'.

 _I believe the word I was told that she's being now is a 'tease'…_ Roy shook his head, readying himself for the next round as he broke into a run at her. Pyrrha got into a guard stance, but was left open as Roy slid past her.

Standing up behind her, Roy grabbed onto her waist and moved directly into a suplex. She hit the ground hard, and was unable to move fast enough before Roy had her pinned. Using his body weight to pin her body and his hands to hold her arms back, he had her pinned. She struggled to move, but was thoroughly held down. Roy looked down at her, and she gave him a defiant glare.

"I believe now we're tied again, Pyrrha," the hunter spoke, keeping his face above and away her own to avoid another 'unexpected tactic', should she get the idea. Pyrrha let out a defeated sigh, and looked up at him with an amiable smile and a warm look in her eyes.

"For now, I suppose," Pyrrha replied, as the hunter got off of her. She took his hand, and was brought back onto her feet. The two looked at each other for a moment, as he held her hand idly.

"We should get going," Pyrrha said, slowly taking her hand back.

"Right. I'll see you at lunch?" Roy asked, taking a step away. She nodded, giving an affirmative hum as the two separated, heading to their respective locker rooms. The two had been keeping track of their wins and losses since their first match, this day's being their twenty-second battle. The two were always so close in capabilities, that constant training was expected on both sides. These regular matches, combined with being on the same team and their general closeness, led to many speculating a romance between the two champions. Pyrrha had heard some of these rumors, and mostly put them aside.

Though it was indeed most, and not all. She had mused over the possibility, after all. They both have excelling grades, and both were seen as some of the greatest first-year students in battle. Coupled with his confident nature and physique, he was certainly one of Beacon's more sought-after bachelors. Those thoughts seemed to swirl in her mind as she changed back into her school uniform. Her mind fell back to when he had her pinned down, almost daydreaming about how it could have gone. She sighed, pushing the thoughts out of her head as she left the locker room. 

**Later that day…**

Pyrrha watched with amusement as Nora and Roy ate together at lunch, devouring massive amounts of food in mere seconds. While Ren and Weiss could merely shake their heads at the behavior, Pyrrha was finding the hunter's actions far more endearing than usual. She chuckled when the two looked at one last cookie, and prepared themselves for a match of rock-paper-scissors. Jaune seemed to notice Pyrrha's dreamy eyes, and tapped her shoulder.

"What's up, Pyr?" Jaune asked, the redhead turning to see him giving her a smile.

"Oh, I've just been…thinking a lot today." Pyrrha replied, looking down at her tray for some better answer.

"Is it anything in particular?" Jaune turned to see that Nora had won the game, using 'gun' as a hand sign, leaving Roy baffled. The hunter laid his head on his tray with a defeated expression, until Ruby held out a cookie in front of him. He sat up, and looked at the young leader before taking it. He gave her a small peck on the forehead, leaving the girl making little noises of happiness as he ate happily.

"Well, it's just that…I haven't been on a date before," Pyrrha stated, her eyes settling on the answer before going back to her partner. It wasn't a lie; the Spartan, due to having most of her time going to training and her celebrity status, didn't exactly ever have any suitable suitors, or any time to pursue any such things.

"Really? You're Pyrrha Nikos, and you've never been on a date?" Jaune seemed surprised, as he took a drink from a carton of apple juice.

"Well, I've never exactly had much a chance to go out, really," the redhead scratched her head sheepishly, as Roy seemed to take an interest in the conversation.

"Don't worry about such things, Pyrrha. I haven't ever been on a 'date' myself, so it's not terrible," The hunter laughed, while the entire table went quiet for a moment. Roy's laugh slowed down to a nervous chuckle. "What? Was it something I said?" Roy looked around confused, while Weiss gave him a deadpan stare.

"How have you not been on a date yet?" Weiss' question was met with Roy's own flat stare, and she recalled the first night he moved in. She nodded in understanding, as did the rest of Team RWBY sans Ruby.

"Regardless Pyrrha, don't allow such a matter bother you too much. The wait merely means that you will go on an excellent one," Roy stated, giving her a smile as he leaned back with a mug of coffee. Pyrrha nodded, returning the smile as the table returned back to its usual antics.

"Speaking of which…" Jaune then slid next to Weiss, who was talking to Blake over a history textbook. "H-Hey Weiss," The blond put on a confident smile, but his voice was a bit nervous. Roy watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow.

"Hi, Jaune," Weiss replied, before turning back to her teammate across the table. Jaune looked down for a moment, before going for it.

"Well, I was just wondering, if maybe you'd like to go out for a bite to eat later?" Weiss didn't respond, but the blond kept going. "And maybe we could go see a movie?" Jaune's face faltered slightly, until Weiss turned to him.

"Ooh, sorry Jaune, but I'm busy tomorrow. Maybe some other time…" Weiss got up, taking Blake with her. "Or not." Jaune's face lost the rest of its confidence, and he slumped over at his spot. The two girls left, and Roy nodded in sympathy.

"Don't worry Jaune, maybe asking about food right after lunch wasn't a great idea," Roy shrugged, while Ren seemed to nod in agreement to the notion.

"You're right, Roy! Maybe I'll wait until later!" The hopeful swordsman left the table in a hurry, while Ren let out a sigh.

"I'm surprised he's still trying after how many times she's turned him down," Ren commented, though the statement seemed to hit Pyrrha with a pang of melancholy.

"Determined, indeed. Though it does seem to be quite an uphill battle for him," Roy said, nodding as he and his teammate watched their leader leave.

 _Oh, Jaune…_ Pyrrha shook her head as she watched her partner exit, her eyes now reflecting empathy.

"Well, I suppose we should get going if we're to meet up with Jaune at Professor Peach's class." Roy stood up, followed by Nora hopping onto his back for a piggyback ride. He waved goodbye to Yang and Ruby, and he and the rest of Team JNPR departed.

As they walked down the hallways, Nora hopped off to drag Ren ahead to the classroom, leaving Pyrrha and Roy together. It was in that moment that the two were fully alone in that stretch of halls before Peach's room.

"Roy?" Pyrrha stopped, taking her arm in her hand in a shy manner.

"Yes, Pyrrha?" Roy turned around, and the two teammates met eyes. Her emerald green eyes seemed to betray a nature that Roy recognized slowly.

"Well, I was just wondering, since neither of us have been on a real date…would you like to maybe do something this Saturday?" Pyrrha asked slowly, though she kept her eyes locked with his as they stood in the hallway. Roy didn't say anything for a moment, before his eyes lit up with a curious look that she had never seen before; something warm and dreamy behind the normally focused purple eyes.

"How could I say no, Pyrrha? Of course I will, I'll find something we can do after classes," Roy smiled, and took her hand. "But first we have class, let's go." The two walked into class, and Pyrrha couldn't help but feel warm to her chest from the sudden feeling of anticipation. Jaune couldn't help but notice his partner's sunny disposition, and smiled as well.

 _I wonder what Roy said that's got her in a good mood again…_ Jaune mentally shrugged, happy to see his friend smiling again. 

**That afternoon, in Vale…**

Roy stood next to his Uncle Alden at the general store as the older gentleman rang up his purchase of Dust and ammunition. Roy looked around the shop, and let out a sigh.

"Something bothering you, Elroy? You've had that look since you came in, you know," Alden leaned against the counter, watching his nephew with intrigue.

"Where would you go for a date, Uncle?" Roy asked bluntly, the younger man turned back to the older man, who now sported a keen smile.

"Well, since it's your first, you'd probably want to go somewhere nicer for dinner to make a good impression." Alden had a pen and pad of paper in front of him, writing down notes as he spoke. "I heard of a restaurant down in the West District of Vale that was very nice, and won't break the bank. Probably after that, this Saturday happens to be the Fireworks Festival, so you could go over here to see that, and…" Alden continued into a mutter, as he wrote down a collection of numbers, addresses, and directions on the sheet. Roy watched his uncle, his eyebrow cocked up as he saw the mass of writing grow.

"Here, take this, it should help you get your night arranged," Roy took the paper presented to him, slowly reading it over with growing confusion.

"Uh…thank you, Uncle. This is…a lot, honestly," Roy replied slowly, perplexed by the massive amount of content.

"If you have any questions, just call me, alright? No sense in messing up a little thing when it comes to planning a night out!" Alden chortled as he turned away, leaving Roy with the list of things and his purchased gear. The young hunter let out a breath, nodding slowly as he understood everything he had to do for Saturday… 

**In Team JNPR's dorm…**

Nora stared with a look that seemed to reflect concentration and thought as she tried to determine the right answer. Ren watched his childhood friend, sitting cross-legged on a bed next to her while the hammer-wielder nodded slowly.

"Nora? You said you thought this looks..?" Pyrrha asked, tentatively prodding her teammate. She stood in a white short-sleeved shirt with a pattern of black palm trees which left her shoulders exposed, and a pair of jean shorts. Her hair was down rather than in a ponytail, coming down along her shoulders.

"It's…perfect!" Nora shouted, causing the Spartan to shrink back in surprise. Ren too seemed to nod in agreement, a small smile on his face.

"You think so?" Pyrrha regained composure, looking to her teammates with a smile. They both nodded, but their jubilation was interrupted as a knock came from the door. Pyrrha walked across the room, and opened it to see Weiss.

"Hey Pyrrha, I was just wondering if you'd-Wow, you look amazing," The heiress commented, her tone endearing as she spoke.

"Oh, thank you Weiss. I was just trying things on," The redhead smiled as she gestured to herself. "I have a date this Saturday, and I wanted to see if I had something nice to wear." At this statement, Weiss' jaw went slack for a moment before she beamed brilliantly.

"That is fantastic! Who's the lucky guy?" Weiss crossed her arms, her eyes alight with intrigue.

"Oh, I asked Roy earlier today! He was so sweet, he said…" After she got her answer, Weiss' smile disappeared as she now watched the redhead prattle on about the chance encounter. The heiress nodded, and then briskly walked back to her dorm. Pyrrha raised her eyebrow, turning back to her teammates while closing the door.

"If I had to guess, Weiss is still quite possessive over him," Ren sighed, his perceptive comment taken by nods of agreement by both the girls in company. "Don't let that worry you, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha nodded, before she saw a text on her Scroll; it was from Roy.

'Made dinner reservations for 7, is that alright?' The message read, and Pyrrha replied quickly.

'That sounds lovely,' she texted back, and she smiled happily.

Weiss stomped back to her dorm, passing by Jaune in the hall. Suddenly, an idea clicked in her mind. Turning back around, she grabbed the blond by the shoulder and turned him around.

"Woah! Hey Weiss, what's going on?" Jaune faced the Ice Queen, who now had a cunning grin on her face.

"Jaune, do you want to go out this Saturday?" The heiress' question made the knight's eyes light up in excitement.

"Really? Of course I will, I know this great ice cream place over on-"

"Actually, I was thinking dinner. Let me get the details sorted away, alright?" Weiss put her hands on her hips, the look in her eyes causing Jaune's knees to buckle slightly.

"O-okay Weiss, sounds great! Uh, I will just…wait for you to get back to me?" Jaune asked, and breathed a sigh of relief when the heiress nodded quickly, and left just as quickly as she came. "Wow…" As Jaune stood in the hallway, Roy walked by carrying a sheet of paper and a crate of ammunition.

"Hey Roy, guess who has a date this Saturday?" Jaune walked up to Roy, who looked up from his paper with an interested grin. The hunter looked at Jaune's cheery expression, and shot him a grin.

"I would guess you do?" Roy asked slowly, his answer coming in the form of Jaune nodding excitedly.

"Yep! Weiss finally gave me a chance to win her over," Jaune flexed his arms, and his teammate nodded in acceptance.

"Most impressive, Jaune. I hope that goes well for you," Roy clapped him on the shoulder, and went his separate way as Jaune walked with pep in his step back to his room. Opening the door, he found Pyrrha was wearing a rather nice outfit, while Nora slept on Ren as he read over a textbook.

"Wow Pyr, that looks…awesome!" Jaune closed the door behind him as his partner approached him with her radiant smile.

"Thank you, Jaune. I have a date this Saturday, and I was trying things on." The redhead repeated her statement, while Jaune reacted with a joyful gasp of surprise.

"That's awesome, Pyrrha! Who's the lucky guy?" Jaune asked, though Ren could very easily see from his spot on his bed that this was a case of déjà vu. The Zen huntsman watched Jaune's face stay bright, letting him know that Jaune clearly approved of the notion that Roy would be taking his partner out. As his mind spaced out, he noticed Nora's head was resting in his lap, her bright blue eyes looking up at him expectantly.

"Renny, since Jaune and Pyrrha are going to be gone Saturday, can we watch this?" Nora held up a DVD box, with a near comically bloody title and a hulking man with a hockey mask and a machete on the front.

"Isn't that Yang's?" Ren asked, watching his friend shrug dismissively.

"Shh, you tell no one!" She slid upwards, hugging onto her partner with all her limbs and putting a finger to his lips.

"Are you going to have nightmares from watching it?" Ren raised an eyebrow once Nora started to give him an evasive answer. He sighed, and took the box from her hands. "We'll watch it," Nora gave a fist pump, and the black-haired boy could only shake his head at her antics… 

**Meanwhile…**

Roy looked over his mess of clothing in his drawer of a dresser, scanning for a suitable outfit. He picked up one of the flannel shirts Yang had him buy, but dropped it back in while shaking his head. The hunter let out a sigh, not getting any further in his endeavor. Yang watched him from behind, and rested her chin on his shoulder from behind.

"What's up? Can't decide which shade of purple to wear today?" The blonde quipped, causing Roy to groan in annoyance.

"No Yang, I'm trying to find something suitable to wear for my date on Saturday." Roy explained, though his answer made Yang make an 'Ooh' noise before hugging up against his back.

"That's so adorable! Here, let me help you," the blonde came right in front of him, and started sorting through his clothing.

"Wait, Yang-"was all the hunter could get in edgewise before his teammate dropped a pile of clothing into his arms.

"Just try these on, and tell me what you think," Yang smiled, putting her hands on her hips while Roy stood for a moment without moving. The blonde rolled her eyes, and resorted to pushing him into the bathroom until he relented. Standing in front of the door, she waited patiently. After a few moments, Weiss entered the dorm, stalking in quickly to her bed. Yang rolled her eyes, and heard a knock from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Yang? May I come out now?" Roy's voice came from the other side, causing Weiss to look up from her textbook.

"Let's see how you…" As Yang opened the door, she was greeted by a sight most uncommon of the hunter. Unlike his normally armored or even simple garb, he wore a dark blue V-neck shirt underneath a black and white flannel shirt. He wore a pair of jeans, and a pair of black sneakers. Even his hair was different, rather than being a ruffled mess of black, was pushed back, making his widow's peak more noticeable and giving his face a certain rugged look.

Yang fainted, falling backwards with her arm over her forehead.

Roy caught her before she hit the floor, holding her by her lower back. He looked over to Weiss, who had a tissue hurriedly stuffed into her nose. The hunter looked between them, before he nodded in understanding.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Roy asked, and Weiss nodded dumbly. Roy lifted Yang into a bridal carry, and hopped up onto Blake's bed. After he set Yang down on her bed, the hunter pulled out his list of things to do for the date. The heiress looked over at him, her eyes focusing on the list.

"Hey Roy, I heard that you're going on a date," Weiss stated, getting up from her bed and walking up to him with a sly grin on her face. Roy nodded, gesturing to his list with his hand.

"Indeed. My uncle handed me this so I could better plan our evening out," Roy said, looking over it while Weiss looked at it almost hungrily.

"Well, since you'll be out, shouldn't someone know where you'll be?" Weiss asked coquettishly, as Roy nodded slowly.

"Hmm, you are correct. However, I heard that you were going out with Jaune on Saturday as well," Roy stated, the heiress' expression deflating for a moment before she reinitiated.

"Well, since I'll be in Vale, if you need anything, I'd be the closest one to be there! Jaune would understand, you know that," as she spoke, she came closer, walking around him before coming to a stop beside him. All the while, Roy seemed to be considering the idea. He nodded, and held the list out to the heiress.

"Well, I've finished with this, anyway. Here, make sure someone who'll be here has it." Roy handed her the paper, and Weiss quickly took it. Roy looked over himself, and walked back into the bathroom. The heiress dashed over to her phone, texting Jaune a message before she started planning her own 'night out'.

'Jaune, here's what we'll be doing Saturday night…" 

**Two days later…**

The day had come around, and Roy was getting himself ready for his date. In his mind, he was aware that he belonged on a battlefield, but that luxuries such as a night out to relax should be enjoyed. Pulling on his flannel, he adjusted the sleeves so that they fit the right way. On his left arm rested a light piece of armor, hidden within was a long sword blade. When asked about the weapon, he told Blake that he'd rather be safe than sorry. Picking up a bouquet of flowers, he ran his hand through his hair and let out a breath.

"I'm leaving now, girls. I have my Scroll, please only call me if a real need arises," Roy turned to leave the door as the four girls waved goodbye. As he walked down the hall, he spotted Jaune coming down the hall in his direction. He was bereft of his armor plates, but otherwise wore the exact same outfit as usual. Roy gave him a thumbs-up as he passed, and Jaune pointed to him with a cheeky grin. Both boys came to the doors of their dates, hesitating for a moment before knocking on the door in front of them.

Pyrrha heard the door, and got up from her bed. She looked at herself in the mirror one last time, scanning over her outfit before smiling to herself. "I'm leaving now, I'll be back before curfew!" Her teammates waved her goodbye, before Nora dashed over to a DVD player and held it out to Ren, who rolled his eyes. She opened the door, and saw Roy with his flowers and attire.

"Hello Pyrrha. I got these for you, I hope they're to your liking," Roy smiled as the Spartan took in her hands.

"Wow, thank you Roy! I got a vase from home recently, let me put them in there before we leave!" The redhead turned around, and placed the bouquet in a Greek-style pot before coming back to her date. "Alright, I'm ready." Roy stood out of the way of the door, and Pyrrha exited with him.

Meanwhile, Weiss opened the door to her room to see Jaune. She wore her regular outfit, and stood at the door with her usual 'Ice Queen' glare.

"Hey, Weiss! Ready to go?" Jaune gave her a smile, which didn't fade even as the heiress walked past him and out the door.

"Let's just get going, we have to make the Bullhead trip over to Vale in ten minutes," Weiss commented as the knight came up from behind to meet her quick stride.

"R-Right! Of course, Weiss," Jaune followed behind, his eyes only on the heiress as they walked together down the halls.

Back with Pyrrha and Roy, Roy led her to a different landing dock than that of the regular student Bullhead rides. The redhead was surprised when she was showed to a private vehicle, complete with padded seating and commodities similar to an airplane. The Bullhead brought them to Vale ahead of schedule, and the two were now walking down a road in Vale towards the restaurant.

"I'm surprised I don't know that much about you, Pyrrha. We train together, and we're teammates, yet we talk little besides school," Roy stated as they crossed a street, the two walking close together as the sun began to set over Vale.

"We never have a lot of time to sit and talk, do we?" Pyrrha mused, her hands behind her back as she looked at her date, who kept his eyes forward instinctively. "Well, besides my achievements in battle, I'm afraid there isn't much to talk about," Pyrrha said with a bit of regret, biting her tongue internally at the comment.

"How about your family? There's something to talk about," Roy nudged his paramour, and the two turned down a corner into a nicer district.

"Well, my mother is a champion in Mistral, and my father was her only challenger that defeated her. My mother still battles in tournaments, while my father took to raising me at home. They're very good people, though my mother is a bit…overbearing for me to be a great warrior," Pyrrha explained with a smile, Roy listening intently while they came to another road to cross.

"I understand that, the pressure to be a warrior of high accolade. My mother is-was, the greatest warrior of the HearthFires beside the Grandmaster. My father is the son of the Alpha, expected to be his successor in the next Generation of Hunters. Being the son of those two certainly wasn't easy as a young boy," Roy spoke in a tone of joy, though Pyrrha could see his eyes fell when his mother came up.

"Who are those?" Pyrrha asked, and Roy looked at her with a puzzled look. "The Grandmaster, and the Alpha, I mean."

"Well, they're the heads of their respective families. The Grandmaster is that to the HearthFires, as the Alpha is to the Hunters. The Grandmaster is a title won by those in the family, and Alpha is inherited by the successor." Roy led Pyrrha to the restaurant, the Spartan not even noticing they were there.

"Wow, this is…lovely, Roy. Are you sure you can afford this?" Pyrrha looked to her teammate with a look of concern, before Roy winked to her.

"Don't worry about it, Pyrrha. Let's go enjoy ourselves," The two walked in, the hunter entering first and holding the door for the redhead. Meanwhile, coming up behind at a 'safe' distance was Weiss and Jaune, the latter being dragged at a pace beyond his feet. When they stopped, Jaune took a moment to breathe before he took a good look at the establishment.

"Wow Weiss, this is a really nice place. Are you sure we'll be able to afford this?" Jaune asked, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Of course we will. Just don't worry about it!" Weiss commanded, walking in briskly with her date lagging behind.

Inside, Pyrrha and Roy found that the restaurant had a romantic atmosphere to it, having lowered lighting and a warm feeling in the air. The seating of the first floor was situated below where they entered, many of which were small, cozy alcoves tucked away into the various corners complete with velvet seating and dark wood tables. To one side of the rooms could be seen a decently sized dance floor, where a few couples swayed to the rhythm of an acoustic guitar.

"Hello, are you here on a reservation?" A young voice piped up, as a server came up to a small raised desk with menus on its side.

"Yes, under the name 'Roy de Chasse'," Roy stated, looking to Pyrrha who nodded with a smile.

The waitress looked through the list of names, and nodded with a bright grin of her own. "Yes, of course. Since you registered as a couple, we have a Couple's discount on Saturdays. Let me show you to your booth," the server led them down to a booth tucked into the furthest corner of the restaurant. Their booth circled around a table, effectively hiding anyone sitting close to the corner from prying eyes. Pyrrha and Roy slid in until they were in this spot, comfortably close to each other at the table.

"Would you like something to drink besides water?" The server set down the menus in front of the two teens, who got comfortable as she spoke.

"Water will be fine, thank you," Pyrrha replied, waving her hand dismissively.

"Shirley Temple, please," Roy said as he opened the menu, looking over its contents with deft eyes. The server nodded, and left. Pyrrha looked through the selection, and pleasantly found that the restaurant's course selection was mainly Mistralian in origin, with a large selection of seafood and foods containing lamb or steak. She recalled her father's gyros, and she leaned onto the table with a dreamy smile.

"Anything you like, Pyrrha?" Roy was now leaning closer to her shoulder, almost resting his head on her shoulder. She blushed at the sudden closeness, but turned back to the menu.

"Yes, I'm interested in this, the Steak Gyro. I haven't had one since I left home," the Spartan smiled as Roy nodded, his hand taking the drink he was given and taking some down.

"Ah, that does sound good. Maybe I'll get one as well," Roy commented with a hint of curiosity in his voice. He looked back at his drink, seeing a Maraschino cherry sitting on top of the ice in the drink. He took it by the stem, and ate the cherry in a single bite. Pyrrha giggled at his goofy facial expression, an exaggerated face of enjoyment. Then he placed the stem into his mouth, and held it there for a few seconds. Then, holding it in his teeth, it was shown that it was tied in a knot. The redhead looked at the stem, her eyes widening slightly at the implication. Roy laughed as her face grew red, and he dropped the stem onto his open napkin.

Meanwhile, across the room sat Weiss and Jaune, the former looking exceptionally bored as her date tried to make conversation.

"So, have you ever eaten here before?" Jaune asked, sitting across a smaller two-chair table from the heiress.

"No Jaune, I haven't," Weiss replied curtly as she watched Roy entertain Pyrrha with a story. She visibly cringed as she saw the redhead laugh and lean into the hunter's shoulder, the two cuddling warmly. Looking back to Jaune, she tried her best to look pleased in front of him. He shrugged, looking over the menu with a rather pleased expression.

"This steak sounds really good…What do you think, Weiss?" Jaune finally took notice that the heiress was watching something, and he looked over at the corner booth. His mind clicked the pieces together, and he made a small 'Oh' with his mouth. He then looked down at his menu with a disheartened expression before he let out a content sigh.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Jaune's question caused Weiss to turn to him, her eyes now filled with confusion.

"Jaune, I-"Weiss started, but the knight took her hand in his.

"Weiss, it's okay. I understand, he's your teammate, and he's honestly one of the coolest guys I've ever known. I'm actually lucky that he calls me his friend. But, when you stack us against each other…" Jaune shrugged, and Weiss' eyes fell as she finally realized Jaune's plight.

"Jaune…" Weiss watched the blond as he gave her a sad smile.

"Since I met you, I just wanted to impress you, show you how good a guy I am. But since he showed up, I knew that wouldn't happen. When you asked me about this date, I was honestly so excited that you'd give me a chance," Jaune gave a defeated smile, and went to stand up.

"Wait, Jaune!" Weiss took his hand, and stopped him from leaving for a moment. "I…where was that ice cream place you mentioned? We could go talk about it there, if you'd like," the heiress gave him an empathetic smile, and Jaune nodded.

"Sure thing, Snow Angel." Jaune replied, but was met with a flat stare. "Weiss. Sorry," but to his surprise, Weiss' expression warmed, and she stood up with him, and the two left together.

Back in the corner, Roy and Pyrrha were eating their food, brought rather quickly after they placed an order using a touchscreen device, in relative silence. The two were able to make short work of the meals, considering their fast warrior metabolisms. After their gyros were consumed, they sat in the quiet resting against each other. Pyrrha rested her head against Roy's chest, who held her in his arms and rested his chin on her head.

"This has been a very nice evening, Roy. Thank you," Pyrrha cooed, her eyes closed in relaxation. Roy made a small 'Hmm' in agreement, as a check was left silently at the other end of the table. The hunter grabbed it, opening it with only one hand and reading over the receipt.

 _Nothing too expensive, really…_ Roy pulled out the small amount of Lien he had set aside in his front pocket to pay for the meal, and set the small book back on the end of their table. Looking down at Pyrrha, Roy noticed how calm she looked; a stark contrast from the usually focused and alert expressions he sees on the battlefield. The hunter felt a small pang of guilt, not being able to fully share the moment of bliss with his paramour.

"The night's not over yet, Pyrrha," Roy spoke quietly, spurring the redhead to move from her comfortable rest.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha looked to him with a confused look, and he gave her a small smile.

"Tonight's the Fireworks Festival down on the coast. I thought we could go see it," Roy explained, though this only served to puzzle the Spartan further.

"But that's halfway across the city. How would we get there before we would have to come back?" Pyrrha followed Roy out of the restaurant, and she saw her explanation. Outside was what looked like a motorcycle sans the wheels, a large chopper design that sported thrusters on the bottom and back of the vehicle's chassis. In front of the seat was a pair of handlebars, and a few meters and gauges along with what looked like a Scroll display. It was painted black, but a wolf howling in front of the moon was painted in purple on the back section. Alden stood next to the vehicle, a smile on his face and a look of pride in his eyes.

"Evening Roy, Ms. Nikos. Hope dinner was good," the aged man spoke, adjusting his bifocals as he did.

"Yes, Uncle. I trust that the Raptor is running?" Roy approached, Pyrrha following tentatively behind.

"Considering she hadn't flown in a couple of years, I had to do some work on her. You wouldn't believe how long it took to find the parts for her engine. Thankfully, I was able to update the software for the display pretty easily, and-"

"Uncle, a simple 'yes' would have sufficed." Roy clapped Alden on the shoulder, and the older man stopped mid-sentence. The shop-keep let out a sigh, and slapped the keys into Roy's hand.

"I know, I know. Just not often enough I get to work on projects like this. Anyway, I know," the man putting emphasis on the end of his statement, "that you won't go higher than your Auras can withstand jumping from, so I didn't worry about helmets this time." Alden watched as Roy put his hands up defensively. Pyrrha came up alongside Roy, her eyes reflecting the worry in her mind.

"Don't worry, Ms. Nikos. He knows what he's doing. Stay safe, now," and with that, Alden started to walk away, stopping a fair distance back to watch.

Pyrrha turned back to Roy, who sat at the helm of the Raptor, leaning back against the rear seat guard while he looked to her expectantly.

"Don't worry, Pyrrha. You can sit in front of me, if it'll make you feel safer," Roy pointed to the empty space in front of him, her eyes following his hand to the seat. She came up to the vehicle, and slowly dropped herself in front of him, straddling the bike slightly uncomfortably.

"Uh, here. Move your feet onto the front rests there," Roy pointed to a pair of bars, and she rested her feet on them. The adjustment of her legs made the seat far less irritating, and she felt more secure as Roy's arms came past her sides to the handlebars. Pyrrha took a hold on the front, still unsure as to how this vehicle would move.

"Ready, Pyrrha?" Roy asked, and his date nodded slowly. With a press of a few buttons, the engine roared to life and the Raptor raised off the ground a couple of inches. The sudden movement caused Pyrrha to grip down on the front panel, but she relaxed once she saw that it was fully under control. Roy watched with a grin as he pulled up and the Raptor reared upwards before he took off at an angle upwards into the airspace above Vale. Flying at a low altitude over the buildings, he sped off towards the south with a growing smirk. Pyrrha watched the passing buildings below as they raced across the skyline. On the ground, Alden let out an amused grunt before he turned away and started his walk back to his shop.

Roy kept the Raptor level, flying in a relatively straight line towards the south coast as the sun was now ducking under the horizon and nighttime took over. He could see the beginnings of the fireworks, as a few huge red ones went off in the sky ahead of them. Pyrrha looked up at them with delight, her eyes lighting up with happiness. Roy sped up, coming up to the coast quickly.

"Hang on, Pyrrha," Roy yelled over the engine of the Raptor, as they came up to the bluffs overlooking the ocean. Aiming downwards, he blazed downwards at the water at increasing speed. Pyrrha gasped as they came up just before hitting the water, pulling up at the last moment. Roy came to a hover far above the water, but below the bluffs overlooking where a platform with numerous men and women were firing off fireworks. Pyrrha turned in the Raptor, giving Roy a glare that could kill an Ursa Major.

"Very sorry. Haven't flown this old bird in a long time, couldn't resist," Roy laughed a bit as Pyrrha kicked him hard in the shin. The two stared at each other as the sounds of fireworks echoed over them, their gaze warming over time. Roy stood up on his feet rests, and pressed a button on the back. From the back of the Raptor sprung out a metal platform large enough for at least three people, protruding further back from the vehicle than to the sides. Roy planted a foot onto it, and then pulled himself aboard it. Checking carefully to see if it would handle the weight, he smiled when he could hop up and down on it and there was no give.

"Here, take my hand," Roy held his hand out, and the redhead took hold as he pulled her up onto the platform. They sat down cross-legged next to each other, gazing up into the now bright skies as the show went on. The two both gave small sounds of amazement as fantastic combinations and pictures lit up the night over their heads. Roy smiled, sighing as he let himself lay down on the Raptor.

"Roy?" Pyrrha looked down at her date to see that he was staring up into the sky with a distant look in his eyes.

"Yes?" Roy looked to her, his eyes focusing on the Spartan. The sounds of the fireworks seemed to become distant as she moved herself closer to him, lying next to him and resting her hand on his chest.

"This has been an enjoyable date, but…" Pyrrha started, but cut herself off as she came to the words that spoke truth.

"You're not sure yet." Roy finished, his mouth forming into a small, grim smile.

"Y-Yes…" Pyrrha looked away, but was surprised when Roy wrapped his arm around her.

"That's alright. I am too, Pyrrha. I don't know where my heart belongs yet, and I doubt I'll truly know for some time. I would have to guess that's the nature of it, though," Roy talked with a philosophical tone, the redhead watching him talk with great interest.

"But…honestly, it was far less difficult to just be a warrior. It is why I've shirked romance for so long. I didn't have all these…excess thoughts in my mind," Roy explained with some difficulty, trying to make sense of his own words.

"I understand, Roy." Pyrrha comforted him, nestling against him with her cheek. "But those are the things we have to balance as Huntsmen and Huntresses, so that we can be more than just soldiers in a war," Roy nodded, as the fireworks seemed to finishing up. "We should be heading home," Pyrrha stated, looking at her Scroll.

"Of course…" Roy stood up with Pyrrha, but was stopped as the redhead took his hand.

"But…I suppose I should thank you, for a lovely night out. I really enjoyed this." Pyrrha stated with a smile, which was returned by the hunter. The Spartan then awkwardly walked up to him, her eyes a bit evasive as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Pyrrha?" Roy asked as she looked up at him, his eyes going wide for a moment as she gave him a kiss on the cheek as she hugged him tightly. Roy let out a small laugh, before embracing her as well. The two pulled away, and Roy helped her get back onto the Raptor. Folding the platform back inside, he then climbed back down onto the vehicle and got it ready to take off again. Hitting the throttle, the Raptor took off, and they flew back to Beacon… 

**Back at Beacon, in JNPR's dorm…**

"Sounds like your date was such a downer, Jaune! All you did was TALK?!" Nora exclaimed, while her partner pulled her back down onto the bed. The team leader shrugged, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"It wasn't just talking, we had ice cream!" Jaune defended, pointing to the bubbly girl with a finger.

"I think that it was a wise decision. From what you told us, it seems like it'll be healthier for you two to be friends," Ren stated sagely, nodding slowly.

"Yeah…it'll take some work, though." Jaune lounged back onto his bed, looking up to the ceiling with a look of concentration. Suddenly, the three heard the sound of an engine coming closer.

"Uh…am I the only one who hears that?" Jaune asked, as the sound started to get closer. As in, extremely close. Nora and Ren's eyes went wide as they saw headlights outside their window, turning away as a large motorcycle-like vehicle came to the window. There was a knock on the glass, and Ren slowly got up and opened the window. Pyrrha then climbed into the room, hopping over the dresser in front of it and into the room.

"Thank you for the ride, Roy! See you tomorrow!" Pyrrha called out, and Jaune watched with a baffled look on his face as Roy then leaned through the window.

"Good night, Pyrrha!" Roy called back before getting back onto his ride, and sped off into the night. Pyrrha smiled brightly as she walked to her dresser while her teammates looked to each other with looks of confusion.

"Pyrrha, what was..?" Jaune started, before Nora jumped up and started bouncing around her.

"What was that?! Does he have a license? How was your date?" The hammer-wielder started rambling incoherently, but started slowing down as Ren picked her up and carried her away from the redhead.

"It was good. Though…we might not be doing it again," Pyrrha replied calmly, her expression staying sunny despite the seemingly sad statement.

"What? Why not?" Jaune asked, genuinely surprised that Roy wouldn't keep dating her.

"We talked on the ride here, and we both think that a romantic relationship wouldn't be right for us." Pyrrha answered, sitting next to her partner on his bed and swiping a piece of popcorn from his bowl. "He'd rather us stay rivals than for us to start pulling punches in training," Pyrrha smiled at the thought of his statement, while Ren nodded in agreement and felt the same feeling of déjà vu as he had earlier. 

**In RWBY's dorm…**

All of Team RWBY sat in their beds in their pajamas, Yang and Weiss talking about the heiress' date while Ruby worked on homework and Blake read a book. The room was relatively quiet, as all four girls were waiting for the sound of Roy's return.

Then the doorknob clicked, and it turned.

Roy stepped in, his eyes heavy and weary as he walked over to his hammock. Ruby and Yang withheld their excitement, hoping to ask all about his night out. However, he merely shrugged off his flannel, the shirt falling to the ground which was quickly covered by his t-shirt. The now shirtless hunter, still wearing his arm-blade, kicked his shoes off and flopped onto his hammock in a single motion and promptly fell asleep. Jashi crept up to him, sniffing quietly before the feline pounced up onto his back and laid down on his upper back.

"How was your date, Roy?" Yang called down to her teammate, who gave a tired thumbs-up in response. Yang nodded with a smile, though Ruby and Weiss were a bit put off by his noncommittal answer. Blake nodded in understanding, opting to ask him about the night out in the morning. Jashi watched the girls until the lights went out, before he knew that it was safe to fall asleep on Roy's back. 

In the dark of the night, from the window of Team RWBY's dorm could be seen a figure peering in from the ledge outside. They wore a mask depicting an Oni, a horrible face of a demon whose pale face contorted into a nightmarish smile, as if it was petrified when it was laughing maniacally. The figure tilted their head slightly, looking at the sleeping hunter with hidden eyes of curiosity. Jashi's eyes flicked open when the slight sound of metal scraping stone was heard from outside, and he saw the masked figure outside. The feline hissed, baring his claws as the hair rose on his back. Jashi leapt down onto the floor, approaching slowly until he heard Roy turn in his sleep.

Roy let out a grunt, turning in his weariness as he awoke to see Jashi visibly aggravated. He looked to the window, to see nothing outside. The sky had become overcast, and a few raindrops could be seen on the glass. More appeared, as the sound of thunder resonated from far away. Roy looked to Jashi, and gently pet his ears and neck.

"Everything is alright, Jashi. Just a storm coming, let us sleep," Roy now laid on his back, the feline hopping onto his chest though he had yet to calm. Roy closed his eyes, falling back asleep quickly. Jashi stared at the window for some time longer before the feline fell back asleep with his friend.

On a nearby rooftop, the masked figure stood in the rain, nodding slowly to themselves before leaping off, disappearing into the night with the sound of thunder… 

**The next day…**

Roy and Pyrrha stood in an arena, fully outfitted for battle as they drew their weapons. Roy readied his sword, and Pyrrha brought Miló and Akoúo̱ to her hands. The two seemed ready to attack each other, until a robot designed similarly to a Beowolf leapt from the shadows around them at Roy. In a single move, Roy slashed it in half, the two halves flying past him. Suddenly, the arena filled with these mechanical monsters, and the two warriors went to work dismantling the beasts with deadly efficiency.

Roy slashed through three more robots, and leapt over Pyrrha as she thrust into another Beowolf-droid and smashed it down with her shield. Whirling around, she threw the shield through another one before bringing it back to her arm. The two worked in tandem, destroying the oncoming legions in fluid motion with seamless teamwork. Metal flew everywhere across the arena as the two smashed bot after bot.

Pyrrha leapt away from a group of bots as Roy came up from behind. "Pyrrha, Shield Smash!" Roy's eyes went yellow as he crossed his arms in front of him, the Spartan sprinting at her partner before drop-kicking into his arms. Once Pyrrha was in position, Roy thrust his arms forward, firing Pyrrha with her shield ahead of her blasting through a solid dozen of the Beowolf-bots. She slammed a final one into scraps as she came to a stop into the arena wall, as a buzzer rang out from around them. The bots de-activated, all the rest falling to the ground lifelessly. Above them, a timer glowed red at zero, and a number of 101 was illuminated above that. Roy beamed to his partner, as the Spartan walked over to him.

"A new record, Pyrrha. We make a good team," Roy commented, the redhead nodding in agreement.

"Indeed we do, Roy." Pyrrha replied, though both turned to watch as Nora leapt up with a cheer at the wanton destruction the two had left in their wake. They both laughed, and walked up to the seating area to watch the next pair go at the Robot challenges. All of this was being watched from a room of numerous screens, each showing a different angle of the previous battle as Roy slashed through robots. The thin man watched carefully, studying every strike with extreme scrutiny. He gave a scoff, turning away to watch as the figure with the Oni mask approached from the darkness.

"You're late," the thin man commented with a flat tone, though the figure did not move.

"I did not recall timeliness was why I am under your employ…Octavius," The thin man stepped into the small area of light in the room, his features now more obvious to the eye. His face was hawkish, his eyes a dark brown and his hair a neatly combed mass of black with a white streak down the middle. His body was thin, lacking notable muscle mass. His skin was pale, and a jagged scar ran down his exposed left forearm.

"I suppose not, but when I give a directive, I expect it to be followed," Octavius' eyes narrowed, his voice now taking a cold tone. The Oni figure did not respond, and the businessman turned back to the screens with a 'Tsk' sound.

"He's made exceptional progress in such short time. No doubt, he plans to exact his revenge within a shorter time-frame than I anticipated. I will have to test him soon…" Octavius took his chin in his thumb and index finger, now looking over a list of names on his Scroll.

"And who exactly could you send besides myself that would be suitable to test his abilities?" Oni's voice took an aggravated tone, seeming to be annoyed at the prospect of not entering combat.

"You act as if I don't know half the mercenaries in Remnant. The Viper will be a suitable crucible for Elroy," Octavius seemed to smile slightly at the prospect, his grin forming as he looked at the name 'Viper' on his Scroll.

"Doesn't he shoot to kill, Octavius?" Oni narrowed their eyes under their mask at the man, though he seemed disinterested.

"Only when I tell him to, as long I pay well. Unlike you, he seems to follow orders well," Octavius commented nonchalantly, a small smile coming to his face as he knew that there would be no rebuttal. "Return to Reconnaissance Duty, you will have your time." And with that, the figure backed into the shadows as Octavius turned back to the wall of screens ahead of him.

"A suitable crucible indeed…" The businessman nodded, his eyes focused on the battle stance of his cousin…

 **Okay, that took a turn.**

 **But joking aside, I hope that this was acceptable for everyone (Shippers, and those who want the plot to move forward). Anyway, my writing schedule should be better once I'm back on track, what with my first year of college ahead.**

 **That'll be fun.**

 **If you have any constructive criticisms, comments, or ideas, please leave them in the reviews, or PM me, I check regularly!**

 **Until next time, have a great day/night!**


	12. 12: RivalsRuby's Feelings

**Alright, next chapter! Second place (honestly not surprisingly) of the votes is Ruby! Definitely one of the more cute ships among them, considering the previous ships are primarily romantic. That and Ruby and Roy are always so cute to write about…**

 **However! *gasp* I'll be combining this one with something plot-related! I know, surprising, right? Also, sorry for the massive delay, college is weird, since it's my first year. Plus side, going into Game Design, so that's cool.**

Chapter 12

 **Location: White Fang Base Delta**

 **Time: 23:45:34.**

 **Agent on Duty: Viper**

 **Mission: Elimination**

Mistral nights; known for their humidity and pervading warmth, this one was no different to the White Fang, who built their primary base for Mistral operations in the outskirts among the otherwise desolate swamps. The air was thick, and the sky above was clear, revealing the night sky and bright moon. The base itself was rather large, a complex of impressive scale with numerous buildings and a plot of land cleared for storage crates in the south quadrant. Guard towers watched from each corner of the thick concrete walls of the complex, soldiers in White Fang grunt uniforms patrolling along the walls. At the east side, there was a large entry-way with two guards with assault rifles standing guard next to a control panel for the metal rods blocking vehicle access into the base.

Both guards had no time to react as they both simultaneously collapsed from an unseen shot from the dark through their masks.

From the shadows of the swampy forest crept a man wearing a particular pair of sunglasses which hid his red eyes from sight. His body was exceptionally built; huge, broad shoulders and intensely thick legs with no fat visible whatsoever. His face, though covered by a ski mask with a demonic white smile painted onto the front, was still notable for its manly shape and hard edge. He wore a leather jacket over a white shirt, and seemingly regular pair of black jeans along with rugged boots. His large hands were covered by fingerless gloves, which had black metal plating over the knuckles and the majority of his backhand. On his back rested two knives; one made of bone and one of steel, and a massive, well-worn revolver.

He raised his rifle instinctively, checking for additional targets before moving in. His rifle has the appearance of a military-issue assault rifle, purely black but with the word 'Venom' painted in white over the butt stock. The thing itself seemed to have many moving parts, as shown through the many plates on its exterior. Under its barrel was a fore-grip and a bayonet, along with the hook for its shoulder sling.

The masked man looked around, his glasses coming alight with a heads-up display as he scanned around the base.

"Hey Capone, you read?" The man put his finger to his ear, indicating an earpiece as he slung his rifle onto his back.

"Yeah, yeah, I read you, Venom," A rather snarky, but robotic, voice shot back from the other side of the transmission.

"You got me the layout yet?" Venom asked in a whispered voice as he picked up the two dead bodies, one in each hand.

"Got your shit right here, boss," 'Capone' replied, as a 3-D map of the base appeared in Venom's field of view as he tossed each body a good twenty yards into the swamp.

"Thanks, it's beautiful," Venom remarked back with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Yeah, well they didn't make me an art bot, did they? Anyway, here's where you're gonna put the markers for when you level this joint, alright?" As Capone said this, five places pinged on Venom's map. The soldier nodded, as he pulled out his knife and held it in a backhand grip.

"Cool, cool. I'll let you know when I'm done," Venom stated as he then leapt up the side of the wall, sprinting up the wall by using his knife as a launching point multiple times until he had leapt up over the wall and onto the ramparts. Looking around cautiously, he spotted a guard inside the tower level he was on that was unfortunately not paying much attention. Creeping up quickly behind, with a swift motion of his knife through the fool's neck, he silently dispatched the poor idiot. Taking the grunt's Scroll, he quickly ran through and patched himself into the White Fang's communications. In his earpiece, he heard that the two guards from outside hadn't gone unnoticed.

Moving in a crouch along the ramparts, he pulled up his rifle and clicked a few buttons along the grip, transforming it into a longer, sleeker rifle as the grip bisected into a bipod, and the stock extended back an inch. Pulling out and attaching a scope from his jacket pocket, he then took aim across the base at the massive spotlight overlooking the southern quadrant. Lining up his shot with both the grunt behind the light and the fixture itself, he fired off a single shot, silenced by an internal silencer, which pierced through both.

The base went up in panicked chatter as the light, and grunt, fell into the courtyard. Venom took off the scope, and re-formed his rifle back into an assault rifle. Slinging it back onto his back, he then dropped a small device with a green light emitting from it onto the ground as he ran along the walls to the next tower. However, two White Fang grunts spotted him from the tower he was approaching. Both drew their weapons, one a sword and the other an assault rifle. The sword-wielder rushed him while the gun-slinger took aim and started firing.

Venom dropped to a crouching stance, his rifle firing a burst of three rounds through the sword-wielder and into the gun-wielder behind him, quickly ending the confrontation. Now breaking into a sprint, the mercenary bolted through the tower, dropping another device in the tower as he came around to the next pathway along the ramparts. Moving quickly and dispatching numerous guards as he did, he dropped a device at each tower before dropping into the southern quadrant of the base, where a group of White Fang had now gathered at his position.

"You're a fool to come here alone," the leader of the group stated with a notably ominous tone.

"Twenty-four…" was Venom's only response, as he sauntered closer to the group, slinging his rifle over his back.

"And you will pay for attacking the White Fang!" The leader brought his hand into a fist, as the other soldiers gave shouts of affirmation.

"Forty-two…" Venom said louder this time, his voice hardly masking a tone of annoyance.

"Prepare to-What are you doing?" The White Fang lieutenant asked with a hint of confusion, as Venom stopped where he was.

"Oh, keep going. I keep count of all the stupid phrases you White Fang guys say before we fight, just a hobby of mine. Besides the whole, you know, killing you guys for my boss thing," Venom explained, his hand slowly going back to his revolver.

"You-! You dare insult the White Fang-"Before he could finish his statement, a blast rocked the air; it was so loud, that even the most devout members jumped out of their skin as their leader was sent flying through the air and smashed into a storage crate. They all turned back to the mercenary, who stood with a massive revolver pointed forward with a smoking barrel. He raised it slowly, and breathed in the sweet smoke into his nostrils.

"Ah, now there's a pretty smell. Definitely better than the swamp mud…" He flipped the revolver back onto his back, and pulled his rifle up to sight.

"Who's next?"

The group of White Fang steeled themselves, and started to run in. As they closed in, Venom slowly walked closer, waiting patiently for them to get closer with their swords. Once he saw they were too far away to hesitate, he fired off four shots; each was a kill shot, each took down a member starting from the back and moving forward. Once one of them was close enough to strike, he aimed at the front member. Catching their blade against his bayonet, he moved their sword away from him before shooting down the offender.

A second fighter stepped in from the side, but was met by a swift rifle butt to the groin and followed up by a three-round burst to the chest. The last two tried to combine their attacks, but were quickly shot down before any opposition could be made. Venom smirked under his mask as he started to jog towards the command center. However, as he came up to the doors, a massive man flung the door open. This White Fang soldier was far more advanced in rank than those before him, and carried a massive sword and shield at his side. The man had fox ears and a tail extending out his back, swishing slowly in the air behind him. Venom came to a stop, ejecting his magazine and pulling out another one with the words 'For Big Ugly Mothers' painted on the side.

"So, you have anything zealous to say, Tall Stuff?" Venom quipped as the man raised his shield in anticipation. The soldier simply grunted, and started to jog towards the mercenary with slowly growing speed.

"I guess not," Venom dropped to a crouched firing stance, and opened fire. His bullets exploded against the shield of his opponent, fire and electricity blasting off the sides of his foe's steadfast shield. The White Fang slowly made it close enough to attack, and swung for the smaller warrior. Venom rolled out of the way, quickly returning to firing stance and retaliating. The soldier was more than able to deflect his retort, slapping the bullets aside with his shield in a gout of the elements.

Venom let out a heavy breath, and shook his head. He fired off a few more shots before having to dodge again, forced onto a defensive by the commander's sweeping strikes. Venom blocked a swing with his rifle's bayonet, knocking it away as he got back far enough to reload. He hit a button on his rifle, re-forming it into a sniper rifle as he slapped in a smaller magazine. Grabbing his knife, he then pressed a button on its pommel. From its rather long handle, the blade then extended into a much longer sword, and he dual-wielded the pair of weapons; rifle in his right and sword in his left.

He deflected the commander's blade, knocking it upwards of himself as he dropped to a knee and fired a shot into his enemy's knee. The White Fang's knee dropped, forcing him to hold his sword downward. Venom swung his blade, meeting the soldier's blade in a battle of attrition as Venom tried to compete with the reach of the longsword the man was wielding. Retreating for a moment, he watched as the commander came back to his feet.

"Gah, screw this honor crap…" Venom muttered as he slung his rifle onto his back, bringing his sword up into both hands. He extended it once more, and this time the cross-guard also extended out, and the sword now took on a new style; looking more akin to a two-handed great-sword than its original one-handed style. The mercenary also pulled out a round device, setting it onto a belt clip on his hip. "But a Hunter I am, aren't I?" Venom scoffed, as he then ran at the man who was already running towards him.

Venom blocked the oncoming overhead strike, the blade coming to a complete stop over him. He narrowed his eyes, and pushed off with impressive force that surprised the commander. Stepping in, the mercenary was able to score a strike on his chest, damaging his aura further before being knocked backwards again by the soldier. The commander stepped in for a riposte, stabbing directly for the heart.

However, it was fully stopped by the mercenary's jacket, and the man himself stood perfectly unfazed as his Aura seemed to flare, a gunmetal gray glow surrounding Venom.

"Yeah, the jacket's completely blade-proof. Dust-metal strands woven along a medley of three other metals, a personal creation for blades and bullets," Venom commented as the commander's eyes widened. Venom's gloves changed, as the plates on his knuckles spiked up on his fists and his sword shrank back into knife form, and he threw it quickly into its sheath before kicking the sword from its owner and into the air.

The White Fang soldier put his shield up, only to watch as the mercenary than punched straight through it; ripping in like it was paper. Tearing the shield away from its owner, Venom then threw consecutive punches directly to the man's vitals; stomach, neck and head. Without skipping a beat, Venom then kicked him in the chest before grabbing the great-sword from mid-air and, while sticking on the round device onto the blade, throwing the sword clear into the man's chest. Rushing back in, he then grabbed onto the sword's handle.

"Ordnance level 4!" Venom shouted before hefting the entire ensemble, man, sword, and explosive, directly into the air and sending it flying away at high speeds. The man, now terrified as he flew into the sky, had hardly any time to react before he was no more, going up in a massive ball of flame.

Venom held his hand in front of his face as he waited for shrapnel, though nothing came down. The mercenary nodded in the direction of the now dissipating cloud of dust and metal, nodding as he turned back to the command center.

"You were good, but I was better…" Venom smiled as he brought his rifle back up to his hands, and walked away after throwing one last pinging device which smashed into the window of the command center. A large Bullhead came down from the dark sky, coming down for a quick landing as the side door opened up. Venom hopped in, letting out a small laugh as they took off from the base. Pulling a cigar from his jacket pocket, he lit it as he hit a button on his Scroll. Puffing into the air, he let out a content sigh as the entire base was bombarded from above, massive explosions engulfing the buildings as the whole settlement went up in flames. The door slammed shut, and Venom turned and walked to the front of the Bullhead while stowing his sunglasses into his jacket pocket. 

"So where we headed now, Capone?" Venom rested his arm on the pilot's seat, though he had to pull away as it swiveled around abruptly as a green light came on over a sign saying 'Auto-pilot'.

"I am going back to base for some well-deserved R and R, you filthy merc," the pilot, now visible, is a robot made rather similarly to a human body. However, its body was a grungy gray with marks of grease and oil over his rather stocky frame. Capone is wearing what looks like a pinstripe suit, and a massive revolver sits on his hip. Its face is a green visor and a box resembling a mouth.

"And you…" Capone pointed at the mercenary, who now lowered a glare at the mechanical annoyance before him. "Got a call to make. Your boss wants to talk to you," Capone pulls out what looks like an electric cigar out of a compartment in his chest, and plugs it into a hole in his 'mouth'. A gust of air came from the robot's mouth, and Venom started coughing and waving his hands in his face.

"Capone, are you vaping?" Venom sputtered out, as Capone raised his hands defensively.

"What? You're always complaining I smell like crap when I ventilate my systems, so I figured I'd make my coolant system a bit better," Capone replied, though Venom wasn't pleased.

"Just don't breathe that crap around me, alright? Blegh…" Venom turned around, leaving Capone as the android swiveled back around to his controls. The mercenary looked at his Bullhead's 'setup', an old couch bolted down to the floor in front of a similarly situated television with a game console next to it. To the side of the couch sat a mini-fridge, and beyond that was a wall of weapons flanking a screen displaying a variety of maps and tabs before a keyboard and a few stacks of notebooks in sealed bins. Venom flopped onto the couch, throwing his cigar into a metal waste bin before he pulled up a call on his Scroll.

"Viper, I assume that the ordnance signal and confirmation indicates a successful mission?" Octavius' voice came through the Scroll, as the call's screen came up on the television and Octavius' face came up on the screen. A camera above the screen turned on, and Venom sat up in his seat.

"Yeah, place is a scorch mark now," Venom took a drink of water, as Octavius nodded with a small grin.

"Excellent. The sooner this insurgency is put down, the sooner I can focus on more important matters…" Octavius spoke with a hint of coldness in his voice, though Venom seemed to be indifferent to the implications.

"I assume I've been paid?" Venom eyed his employer warily, who reflected no answers in his expression.

"Already wired the moment your first PNG went active, your record in the field indicates I may expect success on the field after that moment," Octavius replied, as Venom merely smirked at the 'praise'. He knew it was just analytical crap to cover a rather simple answer, but he liked the answer anyway.

"Anyway, what'd you need, Octavius? Not often I need to call after a mission," Venom remarked, and Octavius' expression changed as a profile picture came up on the screen. "Elroy?" The mercenary pointed at the picture, as other pictures of the Hunter came up around that picture.

"I believe you were made aware of his induction into Beacon Academy," Octavius noted, as a picture of Roy slamming Cardin with a shield came up in the slide-show of combat went on next to Venom's employer.

"Yeah, made a big splash in the Hunters, a lot of joy going on about it. But they know why he's there, causing some conflict between the big boys," Venom commented, watching as a screen came up with Roy sitting between two girls at a lunch table.

"I wish to have a preliminary trial run before I test his abilities myself. You are the most versatile of the S-Class huntsmen I employ. Your next objective is to gather extensive data on his fighting abilities firsthand, and report to me afterwards," Octavius explained as he crossed himself, and a picture of Roy slashing through a Grimm came up on the screen. Venom sat for a moment in thought before raising his water bottle in his hand.

"You want me to see if he's-"Venom was cut off as Octavius raised a hand.

"You will not push him for that. That…" The mastermind seemed to emphasize the word, "…would breed catastrophe in such an environment. I want direct combat testing only," Octavius finished, though Venom seemed to give him a discerning glare.

"Alright, I'll do it. I'll be in Beacon tomorrow," the mercenary replied after a long moment, but pointed at his employer with a more serious leer. "But don't say no one ever warned you about it."

"I dare say I won't. Until next time, Viper," and with that, Octavius' face disappeared and the screen went black, leaving Venom staring at his own reflection. The mercenary let out a heavy sigh, and only then noticed Capone was leaning against the side of the Bullhead next to his couch.

"So…Beacon, huh?" Capone asked, while Venom nodded slowly. "I'll get the coordinates put in, I'm taking a break," the robot turned away, walking back to the pilot's compartment while Venom got out of the couch and pulled up Roy's information on his Scroll.

"Yeah…I can only hope you've been training, Elroy. I can't hold back this time, cousin…"Venom scoffed, as he lifted his rifle up and took it over to the work bench, and went to work taking it apart for cleaning. 

**The next day…**

Roy cautiously opened the door to Team RWBY's dorm, making sure that no one was changing in the room. He breathed a sigh of relief that the room was empty, and he walked in quietly. Roy had left for Vale to pick up more ammunition for the weekend training, and set down his crate when he noticed a quiet sound coming from somewhere in the room. Ears and eyes alert, he walked around the dorm until he found the source; Ruby's headphones, sitting atop an open textbook.

 _Must have left them on when she left…_ Roy thought to himself as he picked them up. He heard the sounds of a commercial as he held them, realizing that it must've been a radio service. Accidentally clicking a button on the side of the headphones, he heard the channel change and a familiar song came on. He slipped the headphones on as the song started, and he felt himself begin to dance and sing along to the happy tune;

"It's not unusual to be loved by anyone…" Roy sang with a smile, as he swayed enthusiastically to the beat. He kicked forward, dancing blissfully unaware of his surroundings as he spun around.

"It's not unusual to have fun with anyone-"Roy cut himself off as he spun around to see Ruby standing right behind him, who stood with a huge grin on her face. The hunter stood frozen as the song continued in his head, and the two stood staring at each other for a long moment until Ruby started laughing uproariously. Roy pouted as he took her headphones off, turning them off as he set them down on her bed.

"Yes, thank you, Ruby," Roy said as he turned to what he came into the room for; his armor, for the upcoming Combat Training class with Professor Goodwitch. "Are you going to get ready soon? We have class in twenty minutes," Roy asked as he pulled his under-armor shirt on.

"I don't really need to get ready if I just need Crescent Rose, do I?" Ruby asked with a smile, as Roy started to pull on his cuirass.

"I suppose not." Roy replied shortly as he added on his gauntlets and greaves. Ruby watched him put on his armor, a small tingling crawling up the back of her neck.

"Uh, hey Roy…" Ruby started, getting the attention of the hunter as he set on his elbow plates.

"Yes, Ruby?" Roy looked to her, his eyes not able to find her gaze as she looked everywhere on the floor but at him.

"I-It's nothing…I'll meet you there!" In a flash of rose petals, she had disappeared out the door before Roy could say anything. He sighed, setting Plum Blossom on his back before heading out after her.

 _She's been acting strange lately…maybe I should ask Yang?_ Roy thought to himself as he jogged down the halls, remembering similar occurrences earlier in the month. The hunter wasn't quite sure what it was that had the young leader so tongue-tied if they talked outside of weapons, but it was certainly making communication outside battle difficult. 

**At Professor Goodwitch's class…**

Roy sat with his arms crossed in the spectator's area next to Team RWBY minus Ruby, as the team leader was down below fighting a match against another student. The skilled scythe-wielder was certainly making short work of her opponent, and Roy nodded with a small smile as the match went on. He looked over to Yang, and he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yang. I have a question," Roy said in a lowered voice, hoping to not pull any undue attention to them.

"What's up?" Yang asked back, turning to her teammate.

"It's about Ruby. She's been acting…strange, as of late," Roy replied, stopping for a moment before finishing. Yang crossed her arms, giving him a raised eyebrow.

"Strange how?" Yang asked, her eyes studying the hunter with a bit of wariness.

"She doesn't look me in the eye when we speak, and she gets all red in the face when I have to pick her up to wake her sometimes," Yang chuckled at the hunter's statement, recalling a morning where Ruby sprinted out of the room because Roy had surprised her. "Do you know why this could be?" Roy asked, his eyes still filled with an amount of concern worthy of such behavior.

"Roy, she has a crush on you," Yang answered, though this only served to confuse him further.

"Ruby? I couldn't believe that," Roy crossed his arms, while Yang leveled a deadpan stare at the hunter.

"Really? What about when you carried her to class?" Yang retorted, as the lights came back on over the spectators.

"She got scared because she woke up somewhere entirely different," Roy reasoned, causing the blonde to give him a slightly irritated leer.

"How about the time she kissed you on the cheek after you 'saved' Crescent Rose from being stuck in a wall?" Yang retorted, though Roy seemed to dismiss the evidence.

"She was excited that her beloved weapon was safe, I certainly can sympathize," Yang's eyes were changing color, now becoming red.

"Are you just blind, or are you-"The buzzer rang out, and the two turned back to the combat arena. Ruby was victorious, and she stood with a smile as her opponent nodded in respect to her. Professor Goodwitch walked forward, moving things on her Scroll as she spoke;

"Very well done, Ms. Rose. That was an impressive display," Goodwitch commented, and Ruby bowed quickly with a grin.

"Now, are there any volunteers for-"The entire room went up in a collective yelp of panic as a massive blast echoed from the back of the hall. Glynda had her riding crop drawn in an instant, glaring at the man in the back. Roy, too, hadn't reacted beyond pulling his blade slightly upwards until he saw who it was.

"Sorry, it's my attention getter," Venom commented nonchalantly as he waved his revolver loosely before holstering it. "Now, miss, I'll apologize for the interruption. But I need to find someone, and as I recall, he's in this class?" Venom looked around the room, scanning for someone as Glynda took a step forward with a still intense glint in her eye.

"I believe I should know who I'm negotiating with before I let you 'find' a student," Glynda growled, though Venom gave her a mocking look of confusion.

"Oh, right, none of you huntress-types know me by name. I'm Venom 'Viper' de Chasse," At the mention of his last name, the room went up in muttering conversation until he spoke again. "S-Class mercenary. I hope you know what that means?" Venom smirked as Glynda lowered her crop though she still kept her leer leveled on him. The professor let out a heavy sigh before she spoke again.

"What do you want with a student, Viper?" Glynda probed, as Venom hopped over the railing into the arena.

"I want to fight him. Where's Elroy?" Venom didn't even turn as he heard the heavy sound of metal slamming into the ground as Roy stood up behind him, sword drawn.

"You dare to show your face, Venom?" Roy's eyes were narrow, his demeanor far from the friendliness the other students were used to. The hunter had the posture of a wolf on the prowl, ready for the attack. Venom turned around, his rifle swinging up to his hands.

"Not even a 'Hello?' What happened to "family first", Elroy?" Venom barked back, his eyes now alight with a fiery rage.

"You became a mercenary. Traded your honor for wealth. I will have none of that," Roy replied with an icy tone, though Venom was hardly fazed.

"I may have the title, but I'm hardly the merc I used to be. I'm under Octavius' payroll, so I can hardly say I'm out of the family, Elroy," Venom held up a badge from his jacket, letting Roy recognize the insignia. Roy held his breath for a moment, before choosing his words carefully.

"What do you want, Venom? This is brazen even for you, to make such an appearance," Roy glared at him, his eyes not leaving the badge the mercenary held up.

"I was hired…to fight you. That's all. If you give me that, I'll be out of your hair and out of here as fast as I can." Venom put away the badge, waiting with a wary eye as Roy gauged the situation.

"I accept your challenge. But if you dare to dishonor me again…"Roy stated, while Venom let out a heavy sigh.

"I won't, Elroy. This is a battle on my honor, whatever that means to you," Venom met the intense glare leveled at him, and Roy's shoulder fell for a moment.

"Let us begin." Roy turned to the Professor, who begrudgingly brought up the two hunters' Auras onto the screen. Venom pulled out his pair of sunglasses, putting them on as he clicked a button on their sideThe two warriors stared each other down, though the crowd seated above them was alight with electric chatter. All of Teams RWBY and JNPR were sitting in shock, still trying to decipher what had just happened. The one who was having the worst time…

Was Ruby.

 _What…How could he be so cold to his family? He always spoke so highly of them…_ Ruby was on the verge of tears at the sight of Roy's cold look, the dark glare in his eyes causing her to shy away in fear. Yang wrapped an arm around her, numbly watching the arena for the battle to begin. Weiss and Blake both stayed silent, as both were focused fully on their teammate.

"Begin!"

With that, Venom dropped to a knee and opened fire with his assault rifle. Roy deflected some of the shots with Plum Blossom while dodging the rest. The purple-clad hunter circled around, swiftly dodging as his cousin let loose the full magazine until he ran dry on ammo.

Venom reloaded as quickly as he could, but had to catch an oncoming blade with his bayonet before he had fully done so. The mercenary deflected multiple slashes before jumping backwards into a back roll as he pulled the slide back to load the first shot in. Entering a crouch as he rolled back up, Venom opened fire once again, though Roy seemed unimpressed at the display as he began to almost lazily deflect the bullets coming in.

"You know that this approach isn't working, Venom." Roy commented as he thrusted directly at the opposing hunter.

"You seem to be used to fighting lower-class fighters, because you haven't been paying much attention, Elroy," Venom then threw down a small pouch, and a gout of flame sent Roy flying into the air and onto his back.

"What?!" Roy then looked down, his eyes widening at the realization. Venom had filled his bullets with Fire Dust, but with no ignition, the material had been spread all over the arena floor by his careless deflections. Venom then loaded in a red magazine, and opened fire.

Roy sprinted around the arena, barely out-pacing the inferno that was now growing in the arena. The hunter ran up the wall of the arena, jumping off it at his apex and was sent flying at his rival. Venom rolled out of the way just as a fist smashed into the floor with a massive sound. Roy chased him, landing a thrust directly into his opponent's chest. Venom was sent flying across the arena, but caught himself easily and brought himself back up.

"It seems that we are close in skill, Elroy. You've certainly improved since our last Tournament match," Venom commented as he loaded in a magazine with a skull mark on it.

"I won't deny your claim, but I will now show you the true gap that lies between us, Venom," Roy retorted as he put his sword onto his back as he took a combat stance. His eyes flashed, turning green as he seemed to disappear from sight for an instant. Venom let out a sound, as he threw his rifle onto his back and just dodged to the side of Roy's fist. Activating a magnetic hold, Venom's rifle clung to his back as he took a few steps back as his cousin took his stance back up.

"You've learned more of the Apex's Eyes. But that won't help you here," Venom flared his Aura, and his eyes focused in on Roy. Roy let out a growl, and stepped in for rapid strikes enhanced by his Speed. Venom, however, was more than able to keep pace. Blocking three punches, Venom stepped in with a fast jab and a heavy hook. Roy side-stepped, though Venom stepped in and led with a thrusting punch into Roy's chest. The armored hunter slid to a stop across the arena, before growling in anger. The two stepped back in, entering a heated debate of close-quarters combat, punches and kicks flying at high speed.

"Your Speed is impressive, but you have too much mass to be able to move faster than I can track, Elroy," Venom caught a jab, whirling around and throwing his cousin over his shoulder into the ground. The hunter flew into the wall of the arena, letting out a grunt as he hit the floor. Roy stood back up, his eyes now shifting to gold as he smashed his fists together angrily.

"Shield too, huh? I guess that means I don't have to hold back!" Venom grinned as he flared his Aura, and broke into a run towards his cousin. Roy raised his arms in preparation as Venom stepped in with a powerful punch. However, it never came; instead, Roy was stunned to see that Venom had dashed just beyond his peripherals on the sides of his arms and was now behind him. Turning only in time to see a fist coming upwards, he was staggered as his cousin advanced.

Venom came right into Roy's space, unleashing heavy strikes at the hunter's vitals. The mercenary took a step back, and threw a heavy kick square into Roy's chest. The hunter fell backwards, though his defensive Aura seemed to have taken the brunt of the attacks. Roy's eyes changed back to purple, and he started to breathe heavily as Venom took a step back.

"Your techniques are impressive, considering how quickly you've picked them up. But relying on them seems to leave you vulnerable against an opponent who understands their weaknesses." Venom remarked, watching his cousin stand back up to full height. "You can't win by using those techniques against me, Elroy." Venom watched as Roy then drew his sword, the mercenary drawing his steel knife from his back.

"I'm aware of that, now. But I've yet to reveal my greatest achievement since I arrived at Beacon, Venom," The mercenary raised an eyebrow at his cousin's statement, as the hunter grabbed a vial of orange Dust from his hip, crushing it in his hand. Running his blade through his clenched hand, the blade came out coated orange in the Dust. "You see, my team leader is an exceptionally creative girl. We talk about weapons and Dust all the time, and we trade ideas for enhancements to our weapons." Roy looked up to Ruby in the stands, who was now watching with rising excitement in her eyes.

"Get to the point, Elroy. What does that have to do with anything?" Venom glared at his cousin, now slightly irritated that he would waste time on such a topic.

"From our discussions, I came away with two ideas. One, was to learn a technique that was originally deemed impossible by my mother. And the other, is to master Art Switching." Roy finished, though Venom was unfazed.

"You seem to say that you've done both. Art Switching takes years of practice for even the most impressive Apexes in our history to even gain a grasp of, let alone master. And what sort of technique do you refer to?" Venom clicked his knife into a great-sword, and took it into both hands.

"Let me show you, then…The High Energy Dust Wave," Roy raised his sword over his head, as his Aura charged into his arms. The energy than flowed into Plum Blossom, and Venom began to comprehend what was happening. The blade seemed to both catch on fire and emit electricity as it grew in energy and the light grew around it.

"What?!" was all Venom could get off before Roy swung, sending a massive wave of Dust-powered energy directly at his cousin. Venom had to take the attack head-on, as he had no time to react to the high-speed projectile. The mercenary was sent flying across the arena, bouncing off the ground and sliding to a stop. Venom bounced up, and raised his sword up. The two clashed blades, exerting their muscles against each other in the grip of steel.

"That was quite the trick. But it won't work a second time," Venom glared at his cousin, though Roy seemed to have a resurgence in his confidence.

"Then I'll simply have to use another one," Roy's eyes flashed green, and he dove under Venom's guard. Switching to gold in a matter of seconds, he slammed a heavy kick to the mercenary's chest which was amplified by Roy's defensive Aura. The force knocked Venom backwards hard, but he still stayed on his feet as he slid backwards.

"That can't be…" Venom stared as Roy's eyes changed back to purple, and the hunter raised his sword towards the mercenary.

"It may not be true Art Switching, it requires me to not change my armor's state and takes more of my Aura to do efficiently…But it's more than enough to level this battlefield," Roy stated as he took up a quick-draw stance.

Venom let out a small 'Tch' sound before the two rushed each other. Roy seemed to be taking far less strikes, instead opting to take more powerful and precise slashes and thrusts. Venom thrust, and Roy was forced backwards. The hunter loaded two bullets into his rifle section, pumping the action before stepping back in.

The two entered a furious contest of attack and defense, with one attacking while the other was forced to defend. Roy caught an overhead slash, reacting with a slash of his own. Venom blocked, and went for another slash. Roy side-stepped it, opting to fire off his rifle at his cousin's feet. A blast of ice engulfed the mercenary's feet, trapping him as Roy leapt backwards.

"What?!" Venom yelled, as he ripped his feet through the ice angrily. However, that few seconds was more than enough for the hunter to dash past him with a slash. Roy's eyes had gone green, and switched to gold as he bounced off his foot and flew past his cousin. The hunter started to speed up, the force behind him increasing quickly as he built up momentum with each pass; he was slashing his cousin with every pass as he both circled and passed by the mercenary. Coming to a stop in front of him, Roy threw a thrust into Venom's chest and fired off a bullet of lightning Dust, sending him flying away in a gout of electricity.

Venom groaned as he slammed into the ground, standing back up quickly as Roy simply smiled proudly. The mercenary stared at him with a hint of anger, until he looked up at the Aura levels. Venom smiled, and started to laugh. Roy's smile disappeared, the hunter now almost aggravated by his cousin's mirth.

"What's so funny, Venom?" Roy asked, raising his sword with intent to attack.

"You really don't see it, do you? Hunters never show their full power in training combat," Venom smirked as he held up his Scroll, revealing that his Aura was only just half-way into the green section. Roy's eyes widened, and he looked at his own Scroll; he was half-way into the yellow.

 _What?! But I hit him with everything I had!_ Roy's mind began to race as he put away the Scroll and stared almost in a daze at his cousin.

"You see, while you were only training against the Grimm, I was fighting new opponents every day. I've got years of experience ahead of you, Elroy, and now I'm going to show you the real gap between us," Venom's eyes flashed, and his Aura flared. The mercenary's gloves spiked up, and he put away his sword as he walked towards Roy with his arms at his side. Roy didn't move back, though all of his instincts told him to get back from the approaching threat.

Instead, he charged forward. Raising his blade, he brought it down hard in an overhead slash, but it was stopped in its tracks by a single hand. Wrenching the blade away, Venom then stepped in with a low kick followed by a quick jab to the face. Roy staggered, and froze as he saw the mercenary bring his fist a mere inch in front of his chest.

In a flash, Venom closed the distance with a yell and sent his cousin soaring into the opposite wall. Roy smashed into the brick wall, a visible indent left where his back had crashed in and a massive dent in his armor. The hunter fell to his hands and knees, gasping for air as he struggled to stand back up. Venom crossed his arms as his gloves reverted to their base form, and he looked to the Aura levels above them.

"This match is over, Elroy." Venom stated as his Aura came back down, and Roy continued to try to stand.

"But…how?" Roy whispered, as he could hear the sounds of his classmates' voices, audibly surprised that one of the best in their class was so easily defeated in the ring.

"Elroy, I'm twenty-three. You're just a shade under eighteen. I've got five more years of experience on you, and I've been constantly in the battlefield." The mercenary walked over to his cousin, bending to a knee next to the hunter. "Listen to me. You're doing great, alright?" Roy looked up at his cousin, surprised by the lack of sarcasm or aggression in the mercenary's voice. "You gotta work on your Aura's endurance, sure, but your swordplay is still way better than mine. You still got to work on the fist-fighting, though," Venom tapped him playfully with his knuckle, and he stood away and started going over his equipment to ensure he had everything.

"Venom…I'm sorry. I should've listened to you," Roy spoke up, though Venom didn't turn to face him again.

"Don't beat yourself up about it." Venom paused, looking back at his cousin one last time before looking away. "I'll guess we're even?"

"Yeah…" Roy felt his body start to weaken, and he fell further down.

"Cool. I'll give you a call next time I'm in town," Venom leapt into the spectator's area, and left without any other comment. The whole hall was alight in conversation, until Glynda raised her riding crop to gather their attention.

"Now class, as we have been…introduced to, S-Class mercenaries are indeed on par with professional huntsmen and huntresses. You should all remember this as a lesson to be careful in what battles you pick. That is all, you are dismissed," The professor finished, watching the students begin to pack up and leave. Yang and Pyrrha got out of their seats first, followed by the rest of their teams. The two girls at the front helped Roy to his feet, the others surrounding him with concerned looks all around.

"Are you alright, Roy?" Ruby asked with tears in her eyes. Roy, from his hold with his arms around Yang and Pyrrha, rested his head against her forehead.

"Don't cry, Ruby. These are just physical wounds," Roy pulled back, his two supports helping him greatly as he slowly stepped forward on his way out of the hall. "I'll be in the dorm for the rest of the day. Could I see your notes from Professor Oobleck's class today after dinner, Weiss?"

"Of course," The heiress replied, as she watched the hunter get carried out. The remaining team members watched as he exited, and Ren spoke up as he crossed himself.

"His pride has certainly taken a blow." The stoic man stated, those in company nodding in agreement… 

**Later that day…**

Ruby cracked open the door into Team RWBY's room, seeing that Roy was repairing his armor. The cuirass laid out on the floor, the hunter worked hard on the massive dent in the middle while Jashi rubbed up against him continuously. The team leader entered the room slowly, making sure her presence was known. Jashi gave her a wary look, before leaping up onto Blake's bed and curling up on her pillow. The young girl watched as Roy continued to work, not showing any interest in her presence. She sat down in front of him, not talking for what felt like an eternity as the hunter kept working.

"Why are you here? You should be at History," Roy asked with a sullen tone, his sudden speech jerking Ruby back to the world. Her face grew a shade redder, and she scratched her cheek gently as she turned her eyes downward.

"I-I was worried about you…and I thought that you might be getting hungry, so I grabbed you some of those ham sandwiches you like to eat really fast, and-"Roy cut her off, and simply offered her a small melancholy smile.

"Thank you, Ruby, but it shouldn't have been a reason to not go to class," Roy replied, turning his eyes back to his cuirass only for a moment before he let out a small sigh.

"Ruby, I've a confession. I'm aware of your feelings…towards me," Roy stated, and Ruby froze, her face growing red though she tried to suppress it.

"Oh…O-Okay…" Ruby replied quietly, slowly bringing her cape and hood around her in an attempt to hide from her embarrassment. Roy watched her, his eyebrow raised at her reaction. He closed his eyes, and he let his shoulders drop.

"Yang talked to me about it earlier, before my bout with Venom. I guess…I've been cautious for your sake, Ruby," Roy relented, his eyes falling as Ruby looked at him with a confused look. "I don't want to hurt you, Ruby." Roy set his cuirass aside, looking over to Ruby with a determined look. "Can you tell me what you feel?"

Ruby was at a loss for words, making small noises of confusion as she tried to think of something, anything to say. In a flash, she dove into his arms, becoming a small ball in his arms and hugged him tightly. Roy was surprised for a moment, but smiled as he returned the embrace. She stayed in his arms for a long moment, until she looked up at him with a smile.

"You're one of my closest friends, Roy. I…really like you, and you're so cool, and Plum Blossom is so pretty, and you're super nice, and-"Ruby was rambling, until Roy poked her on the nose. She pouted, though Roy gave her a smile.

"Boop," was all Roy said that caused the young leader to burst out laughing. Roy laughed along with her, letting her slump out of his lap as she rolled onto the floor. She popped back up to a sitting position, looking up at Roy with a curious look.

"So…what about you?" Ruby asked, which spurred Roy to give her a confused look.

"I…what?" Roy asked, though Ruby seemed to get nervous before going further with the thought.

"What do you feel?" Ruby touched her index fingers together, the scythe-wielder looking away as Roy took a moment to think.

"I…I think you're a very good friend. Over this past month and a half, I've grown very close to you, and I consider you one of my closest friends," Roy stated, nodding to himself as they then met eyes. Ruby seemed crestfallen, though Roy took her face gently in his hand.

"I care about you, Ruby. But you're growing and changing faster than I am, and you may grow out of this romance. I want you to hold onto them, but we should wait and see if they'll stay the same," Roy explained, as the girl simply smiled as she rubbed gently against his hand with her cheek.

"Okay, Roy." Ruby replied, and the hunter pressed his lips against her forehead. She smiled, and Roy returned it. The team leader got up, while Roy turned back to his cuirass. Before Ruby left the dorm, she turned back to Roy with a small smile.

"I hope you feel better!" was all Ruby said before disappearing in a flash of rose petals. Roy shook his head while laughing to himself, bringing up a handful of Dust and going back to work repairing his armor… 

**Somewhere else…**

Venom sat with his feet propped up on a desk, the mercenary chewing a piece of nicotine gum as he watched his employer watch over several screens of the battle earlier that day between Venom and Roy. Octavius occasionally took a few steps to one way or the other, stopping for a few minutes before going the opposite way and starting over again. Every screen was a different angle, a different perspective on the same battle. The genius businessman watched with a mute expression as the battle came to an end, Roy falling to his knees on the screen from numerous viewpoints.

"So how'd I do, Octavius? Enough angles for you?" Venom smirked as the HearthFire gave him a stare for a few moments before giving a small laugh.

"You amuse me, Venom." Octavius turned back to the screen, pausing and rewinding the video at a part where Roy was using his Speed ability. "Yes, this is satisfactory." The businessman paused the videos, and the two watched as a harness was raised up from a section of floor that had opened up. Protruding from a metal backpack-like device on the stand were four long, metallic arms with three prong-like claws at the ends of each arm. Venom let out a whistle at the suit as Octavius removed his button-up shirt and hoisted the pack onto his shoulders.

"That's quite the set-up, boss. What're the specs on that suit?" Venom asked, spitting his gum out into a trash bin as Octavius put on a Scroll-like device on his arm.

"Dust-metal plating, covering high-end nerve simulators and a hydraulic system capable of lifting two tons, each. I'll require two weeks to fully calibrate the suit, as it has to acclimate to my body," Octavius flinched as a metal probe entered into his back, connecting the suit in multiple places into his spinal cord.

"Wait, wait, wait. 'Acclimate', Octavius? What kind of suit is this?" Venom asked as the arms started to turn on, a pale light emanating from under the metal plates and from the center of the hands at the end of each arm. Octavius smiled as the arms started to rise, poking at the floor and looking upwards into the air.

"The arms, simply put, are now a permanent addition to my physiology, though they are more easily removed and repaired. They're the newest form of my Combat Suit, Mark Seven," Octavius watched with a smile as one of the arms smashed into the floor, leaving a noticeable dent into the metal floor.

"You intend to fight Elroy…with this?" Venom asked, gesturing to the arms which seemed to 'look' at him with interest.

"Yes. I will still use Konigsmord, should I require it," the businessman gestured to a thin, black sabre resting on the table across the room from them.

"What exactly are you going for, Octavius?" Venom asked, his eyes narrowing at his employer. The HearthFire looked to his associate, and gave a small, unsettling smile.

"I was asked to ensure the Rat dies by his hand. My methods will satisfy this goal," Octavius replied, as he walked out of the room, leaving Venom standing there with more on his mind than before. Once his employer had left the room, Venom scoffed, lighting a cigarette and puffing it a few times before letting out a sigh.

"I know you're up there." Venom said, as the Oni dropped down the darkness above.

"Do you really agree with his methods? Such a mechanical monstrosity could never accurately train an Apex-"

"I never agreed with him, Oni. Besides, if Elroy's over-qualified to kill that son of a bitch, all the better." Venom blew a cloud of smoke away from his co-mercenary, though the masked figure still gave an air of disgust at the action regardless.

"He should have mastered seven Arts by now," Oni replied, their voice modulating as they spoke. Venom scoffed, throwing the cigarette into a metal trash bin.

"Well, he wasn't training from the day he could walk in the Arts, now was he?" Venom asked, getting no response from the other mercenary. Oni gave a 'Hmph', before turning away.

"Where are you going?" Venom questioned, the masked one stopping only to reply;

"Beacon. I want my turn as well, Venom." With that, Oni left, Venom now standing truly alone in the room.

"Unbelievable…" Venom shook his head, staring up at the paused face of his cousin on the screens on the wall.

"If only you knew what sort of nest you've riled up, Elroy…" Venom shook his head, leaving the room as he lit a new cigarette.

 **I feel like I almost have a weird preference to leaving chapters on notes like that. Anyway, hopefully there's still people who care about this (and still like this) thing. As always, I really like getting constructive criticism and suggestions, so please send them, I read all of them.**

 **Next chapter will be Weiss' time to shine! The ship shall sail…finally.**

 **Have a nice day!**


	13. Announcement! Retcon of the Old!

**Announcement time!**

 **So, in short, I'm not dead and rather, I'd like to do a full re-write of this fic! So, in a few weeks, I'll be updating (replacing with better versions) the chapters currently in the story, while also adding to and editing the storyline. This will include certain changes to some of the criticisms I received (such as the fight vs. Pyrrha in Roy's initiation test, since I do recognize the Deus ex-Aura I did), and certain changes to the rhythm.**

 **Also, I will be opening this up to a vote (since I'm terribly indecisive on romance) whether this will stay a Weiss x OC fic (as was voted) or to open this up to a harem of Team RWBY (Or some kind of combination of up to 4 of the girls). Maybe I'll do Omakes of the various ships for fun one day?**

 **In any case, I'm hoping to bring everyone a new, fresh take on my fic! May we get somewhere this time!**

 **-HB25**


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